The Taliban publicly flogged six people in Sar-e Pul province over the past two days for various alleged offenses, according to a statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court. Five individuals were accused of “immoral relations,” while one was charged with “adultery.”
The court’s statement detailed the punishments, which ranged from 29 to 39 lashes. One individual received 39 lashes, another 31, while others were given similar punishments along with prison sentences. Three of the accused were also sentenced to three years in prison, while another individual received a six-month prison term.
This comes just days after the Taliban publicly flogged two women and a man in Faryab province for “adultery” and “aiding the escape of a woman from her home.” In the past week alone, the group has publicly flogged at least 16 people across various provinces for offenses ranging from extramarital relations to robbery.
A new quarterly report from the United Nations underscores the continuation of public corporal punishment under Taliban rule, often conducted in front of large crowds. One particularly notable incident occurred on June 4 in Sar-e Pul city, where 63 individuals—15 women and 48 men—were publicly flogged in a stadium after being convicted of offenses such as armed robbery, extramarital relations, fleeing from home, and sodomy.
The continuation of public floggings has drawn widespread international condemnation, raising serious concerns about the Taliban’s commitment to upholding basic human rights. Public corporal punishment has become increasingly common under the Taliban’s rule, sparking outrage from global human rights organizations and governments alike.
