RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that two individuals were recently subjected to public punishment in Jalrez district, Maidan Wardak province, accused of “sodomy.” This punishment is the latest in a series of public penal actions carried out by the Taliban since their return to power. According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s court, these individuals were lashed on Monday, August 12, following a verdict from the preliminary court in Jalrez district. The statement indicates that each of the accused received 39 lashes and was also sentenced to 13 years of enforced imprisonment.
Despite widespread international condemnation, the Taliban have persistently carried out such public punishments since seizing control of Afghanistan. In addition to these lashings, the Taliban have publicly executed five individuals in front of hundreds of onlookers. The Taliban’s practice of public corporal punishment has repeatedly drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations, which have called for an immediate halt to these actions. These organizations argue that the trials conducted by Taliban courts are neither fair nor legal, as the accused are often denied access to legal counsel.
Nevertheless, the Taliban continue to disregard international objections and have previously punished individuals in Kabul under similar circumstances. In an audio recording attributed to the Taliban leader, which was briefly broadcast on state-controlled television and later removed, he reaffirmed the group’s commitment to enforcing Sharia law despite global opposition. He specifically mentioned the continued implementation of Sharia punishments, including the public stoning of women.
