RASC News Agency: Reports from Nangarhar province reveal that the Taliban publicly lashed four individuals, including one woman, in the Kuz Kunar district. The Taliban Supreme Court issued a statement confirming these individuals were accused of “illicit relations” and fleeing home, receiving 39 lashes each from a local court. This public punishment, enforced under Taliban rule, has become increasingly common since their return to power, despite international outcry.
Human rights organizations have condemned these acts as severe violations of human rights and dignity, urging an immediate halt to these punishments. Nonetheless, the Taliban leadership maintains that these actions align with its strict interpretation of Sharia law and views such punitive measures as necessary for alleged offenses like adultery, fleeing home, and other charges.
The reintroduction of public corporal punishment, along with reports of arbitrary detentions and physical abuse, underscores a growing trend of repression and rights abuses in Afghanistan.