RASC News Agency: Sources from Bamiyan report that Taliban forces flogged three individuals, including a woman, yesterday afternoon Wednesday, July 24, at the Provincial Park in the center of Bamiyan. The specific reasons for this punishment remain unclear, but sources indicate that each of the three individuals received 25 lashes.
The Taliban administered these lashes in public, stating that it was meant to serve as a deterrent to others. This incident comes amid repeated condemnations from human rights organizations and international bodies, including the United Nations, criticizing the Taliban’s treatment of accused individuals. These organizations have highlighted that the Taliban administer punishments without granting the accused access to legal counsel and without due legal process.
In response to these criticisms, the Taliban have consistently maintained that they are enforcing Sharia law. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State, in its annual report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, described such punitive actions by the Taliban as “unethical” and called for their immediate cessation. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on August 15 of the previous year, they have flogged nearly 50 individuals, including women, in public settings.
In a separate incident in Sar-e-Pul province, 65 individuals were flogged in public. Since the Taliban’s rise to power, there has been a marked increase in arbitrary arrests, mysterious killings, public floggings, and frequent imprisonments. The group often detains individuals without evidence or justification.
The Taliban have flogged numerous individuals for various reasons, often leaving the public unaware of the specific grounds for the punishment. The group continues to act with impunity and without accountability.
