RASC News Agency: The Taliban publicly flogged three individuals in Herat province, accusing them of “selling and trafficking drugs.” According to a statement released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, each of these individuals was lashed “39 times” in public.
Additionally, the statement revealed that each of the accused has been sentenced to two years in prison. It is noteworthy that, within the past week, the Taliban have publicly flogged over 20 individuals, including women, across various provinces of Afghanistan on a range of charges. This comes as the United Nations, in its quarterly report released on Tuesday September 17, stated that the Taliban continue to carry out corporal punishments in public, often involving large groups of individuals.
The report cited an example from June 4, when 63 people (15 women and 48 men) were flogged publicly in the city stadium of Sar-e-Pol after being convicted on charges such as armed robbery, extramarital relations, running away from home, and sodomy. The United Nations and global human rights organizations have condemned the Taliban for administering corporal punishment in public, criticizing the group’s failure to provide the accused with access to legal representation or due process. Despite this, the Taliban have continued to punish their adversaries under various pretexts, ignoring both the will of the Afghanistani people and the concerns of the international community.
