RASC News Agency: In a continuation of their policy of corporal punishment, the Taliban recently subjected seven individuals to public flogging in the provinces of Faryab and Khost, accusing them of offenses such as “illicit relations, forgery, and bribery.” The Taliban’s Supreme Court issued a statement confirming that one individual in Faryab received 39 lashes for “illicit relations” and was also sentenced to three years in prison. In a separate announcement, the court revealed that six individuals in Khost province, located in eastern Afghanistan, were similarly flogged for charges including “illicit relations, forgery, and bribery.” In addition to their corporal punishment, they were sentenced to one to two years in prison.
According to the Taliban-run Supreme Court’s reports, these punishments were carried out publicly in Pashtunkot, Faryab, and Khost city. Local judicial officials, security personnel, and members of the public were present during the floggings. The Taliban has recently escalated its practice of publicly executing corporal punishments. Since the beginning of November, hundreds of individuals across various provinces have been subjected to flogging for a wide range of offenses. Jowzjan and Khost provinces have reported the highest frequency of such punishments, with 22 cases in Jowzjan and 25 in Khost. Since the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, they have progressively reintroduced many policies from the 1990s, including public corporal punishment.
This resurgence of public flogging and other physical punishments has elicited widespread condemnation both within Afghanistan and internationally. Human rights organizations have decried these actions as flagrant violations of human rights and dignity, urging an immediate cessation of such practices.
