RASC News Agency: Reports from Kabul reveal that the Taliban publicly flogged a woman and a man accused of “engaging in an extramarital relationship.” The punishment was carried out before an audience in the Afghanistan capital, underscoring the Taliban’s intensifying enforcement of their strict interpretation of Islamic law. The Taliban’s Supreme Court confirmed the incident in an official statement, detailing that each individual received “39 lashes” and an additional sentence of one year and six months of imprisonment.
In recent instances, the Taliban also subjected a person in Maidan Wardak province to flogging on charges of homosexuality and, just yesterday, administered similar punishments to two individuals in Kabul and Faryab provinces. Reports indicate that within the past month alone, the Taliban have publicly whipped more than 90 people across various provinces, including women, on various charges. A recent United Nations report, covering the period from July to September, claims that the Taliban conducted 111 public lashings in different regions of Afghanistan over the three-month span.
This report highlights that the majority of these punishments appear arbitrary, often based on accusations deemed unsubstantiated and frequently following confessions reportedly obtained through coercive means. The UN Human Rights Council has previously condemned the Taliban’s reliance on corporal punishment, calling for its immediate cessation. However, the Taliban remain firm in their stance, asserting that they will persist in enforcing these measures.
International human rights groups and humanitarian organizations aiding Afghanistani civilians have expressed grave concern, warning that the Taliban’s repressive measures are further subjecting the Afghanistani population to extreme limitations and distress. The Taliban have reiterated their commitment to such punishments, including flogging, imprisonment, and even amputation in cases of theft, as part of their judicial approach.
