RASC News Agency: The Supreme Court of the Taliban has announced that nine individuals in Khost province were publicly flogged on charges including theft, illicit relationships, fraud, bribery, and the sale of alcohol. According to a statement released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, these individuals received 34 to 39 lashes in a public setting by the group’s urban court in Khost on Thursday, August 1. Additionally, they were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.
Since the Taliban’s ascension to power, the group has publicly punished numerous individuals in various provinces. These public corporal punishments have elicited widespread condemnation, with human rights organizations categorizing these actions as violations of international law and human dignity. They have called for an immediate cessation of these practices.
Some Islamic scholars have stated that public punishment of criminals contravenes Islamic teachings. Nonetheless, the Taliban continue to carry out these actions, asserting that they are in accordance with Islamic principles. Many citizens believe that these public punishments are primarily aimed at instilling fear and maintaining control through terror and intimidation.
In response to the increasing number of public punishments, several citizens have noted that the Taliban seek to demonstrate that any disobedience will result in public punishment and flogging. They further assert that the Taliban have no genuine religious motivations and are instead focused on extending their grip on power for as long as possible, resorting to any form of violence and brutality to achieve this end.
