In the latest instance of public corporal punishment, Taliban flogged nine men and one woman in Khost province on charges that include adultery, sodomy, running away from home, extramarital relations, and making threats.
According to a statement from the Taliban-controlled Supreme Court, the individuals were whipped between 30 and 39 times in Sabari district of Khost and sentenced to one to three years in prison. The court claimed the punishments were carried out after their convictions were upheld by the Taliban’s Criminal Division of both the Sabari District Court and the city’s Primary Court.
Local Taliban judicial officials, administrative staff, and residents of the area were reportedly present during the punishments, the statement said.
This incident adds to a growing list of corporal punishments carried out by the Taliban in recent months. Since the beginning of the past month, at least 28 individuals, including six women, have been publicly whipped in various provinces on charges such as theft, adultery, and other alleged offenses.
The Taliban’s return to public punishments has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. Last year, Taliban reportedly flogged 580 people, including 42 women, in provinces across Afghanistan for a variety of alleged crimes.
The United Nations and other human rights organizations have strongly condemned the Taliban’s use of public punishments. These organizations have called for an immediate end to such practices, citing violations of international human rights standards.
Amnesty International has previously expressed concern over the lack of access to fair judicial processes under Taliban rule, raising alarms about the conditions of those imprisoned and subjected to punishment.
