RASC News Agency: In a continuation of the Taliban’s policy of public corporal punishment, three individuals were flogged in front of a crowd at a stadium in Khulm district, Samangan province. According to a statement released on Thursday by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, each individual received 39 lashes on charges of “adultery,” following a ruling by the Taliban’s primary court in Khulm. The Taliban reported that the punishment ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, including the head of the primary court in Khulm, the district governor, the police chief, other Taliban authorities, and local residents. The identities of the punished individuals were not disclosed in the statement.
Over the past month alone, the Taliban have subjected 97 individuals, including 14 women, to public floggings across multiple provinces for various alleged offenses. Since their return to power three years ago, the Taliban have steadily reinstated their 1990s-era practices, which include public corporal punishments such as floggings, stonings, and executions. Jowzjan and Khost provinces have recorded the highest number of flogging incidents over the past month, with 22 and 17 cases carried out, respectively. Data compiled by “Amu” from statements issued by the Taliban-controlled Supreme Court reveal that, over the past three years, the Taliban have issued 176 retribution sentences, in addition to enforcing stoning and execution rulings.
Currently, six individuals in Taliban prisons await the implementation of retributive sentences. International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have consistently condemned the Taliban’s reliance on corporal punishment and retributive justice. These organizations have called for the immediate cessation of such practices, labeling them as violations of international human rights standards.
