Taliban publicly flogged eight individuals, including a woman, in the eastern province of Kunar on Sunday.
Taliban said the individuals were accused of “sodomy, theft, and fleeing home.”
The individuals received various sentences alongside the corporal punishment, according to to a statement by Taliban-run supreme court.
Two people were lashed 39 times and sentenced to two years in prison each. Another two were lashed 20 times and sentenced to seven months in prison.
A fifth individual was sentenced to three years in prison and received 20 lashes, while another was given 15 lashes along with a 15-month prison sentence. One person was hit with 20 lashes and sentenced to a year in prison, and the final individual received 10 lashes and a 10-year prison term.
This marks the latest in a series of public floggings by the Taliban in recent weeks, with nearly 30 individuals, including women, reportedly subjected to corporal punishment across various provinces.
The United Nations Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution condemning the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, such as stoning and execution by wall-burial, citing them as violations of international human rights standards. The resolution highlighted concerns about reports of extrajudicial punishments in the country.
Amnesty International also issued a statement criticizing the Taliban’s judicial system, raising alarms over what it described as a lack of fair trial and due process for defendants.
