KABUL — Taliban publicly flogged a man and a woman in Ghazni province’s Deh Yak district on charges of “moral corruption”, sentencing each to 35 lashes and two years in prison, according to a statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
Taliban have not provided further detail in their statement.
Taliban have increased public floggings in recent months, with data compiled by Amu TV indicating that more than 72 people—including several women—have been whipped in various provinces since early March. Those punished have been accused of offenses including theft and “running away from home”.
Rights groups and Afghan citizens have strongly condemned the Taliban’s use of public corporal punishment, calling it inhumane and a violation of international human rights standards. Critics warn that the Taliban are reviving the harsh policies of their 1990s rule, when public executions and floggings were common.
The United Nations and other international organizations have repeatedly urged the Taliban to end corporal punishment, but Taliban have continued to carry out floggings and executions since returning to power in August 2021.
