The Taliban publicly flogged an individual on Monday in Paktika Province, southeastern Afghanistan, as part of a broader resurgence of corporal punishments under their rule, according to a statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, received 21 lashes and was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of engaging in “immoral relations,” the statement said.
This incident is part of a pattern of public punishments that have escalated in recent weeks. Over the past month, the Taliban have flogged at least 100 individuals, including 15 women, across multiple provinces on charges ranging from theft to extramarital affairs, according to Taliban statements.
The provinces of Jawzjan and Khost have recorded the highest number of public floggings during this period, underscoring the Taliban’s renewed embrace of practices widely condemned by human rights organizations.
Critics say the Taliban are reviving the harsh governance style they enforced during their previous rule in the 1990s, when public executions and corporal punishments were common. Human rights groups have decried the public floggings as oppressive and a stark rollback of progress made in Afghanistan over the last two decades.
The Taliban, who reclaimed power in August 2021, have faced increasing international criticism for their treatment of women and for reimposing strict interpretations of Islamic law.
