The Taliban flogged two individuals in public for theft in Paktika, Afghanistan, according to a statement by Taliban’s supreme court.
According to the statement, one individual was sentenced to 39 lashes and the other to 25.
Since December 2022, Taliban has lashed hundreds of individuals on charges of different crimes.
The UN office in Afghanistan reported in its quarterly review that the Taliban continues to enforce judicial corporal punishment publicly, with such penalties being administered in at least one province weekly.
For instance, on Feb. 25 in Balkh province, two individuals convicted of running away from home and adultery were each publicly flogged 35 times within the compound of the Appeal Court, observed by Taliban officials, court employees, and the public. On the same day in Laghman province, two individuals were each flogged 35 times for immorality, also in public and in the presence of de facto officials.
This action occurs despite international human rights organizations repeatedly condemning the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment. The U.S. State Department has urged the Taliban to cease this form of punishment in its annual report.
