RASC News Agency: Reports from local sources in Faryab province confirm that the Taliban publicly flogged three individuals in front of onlookers. The punishments took place on Sunday in the districts of Pashtun Kot and Dawlat Abad in Faryab province. Meanwhile, additional reports from Takhar province indicate that two individuals were subjected to similar punishments.
The Taliban’s Supreme Court, under its administration, issued a statement claiming the accused were charged with offenses such as “extramarital relationships, fleeing home, theft, and sodomy.” Each individual received 39 lashes as determined by preliminary rulings from local courts in Pashtun Kot, Dawlat Abad (Faryab), and Darqad (Takhar).
This is part of a broader trend. Over the past month, the Taliban have publicly flogged 90 individuals, including 13 women, in various provinces under similar accusations. The provinces of Jawzjan and Khost have recorded the highest number of such punishments, with 22 and 17 cases, respectively.
Since reclaiming power three years ago, the Taliban have increasingly reverted to their practices from the 1990s, which include public corporal punishments. These practices encompass lashings, stonings, and public executions for alleged crimes. Data collected from Taliban-controlled Supreme Court announcements indicate that, in the past three years, the group has issued 176 death sentences (Qisas), alongside other forms of capital punishment, including stonings and executions. Currently, six individuals remain in Taliban custody, awaiting execution under Qisas rulings.
International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have strongly condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and executions, demanding their immediate cessation. Critics argue that such practices not only violate fundamental human rights but also symbolize a systematic regression into oppressive governance.
