RASC News Agency: In a continuation of their brutal enforcement of corporal punishments, the Taliban publicly flogged five individuals, including a woman, in Khost Province on charges ranging from adultery to “illicit relations.” The punishments were carried out in full view of local residents and Taliban officials, marking another instance of the regime’s harsh and regressive judicial practices. According to an official statement released by the Taliban, two of the individuals one of whom was a woman were convicted of “illicit relations” and sentenced to 39 lashes, in addition to prison terms of 12 to 18 months. The remaining three individuals were found guilty of adultery and were sentenced to four years in prison alongside 39 lashes each.
These sentences were executed publicly in the presence of Taliban officials and a crowd of local onlookers in Khost Province. Over the past month alone, the Taliban have escalated their use of public corporal punishment, with 116 individuals, including 18 women, subjected to flogging across various provinces. Khost and Jawzjan Provinces have reported the highest numbers of such incidents, with 19 and 22 cases of public flogging recorded, respectively. Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have gradually reinstated policies that echo the draconian measures of their 1990s regime. Chief among these is the public execution of corporal punishments, which have now become widespread throughout Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s increasing reliance on public flogging and similar punishments has drawn widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. Human rights organizations have vehemently criticized these acts as egregious violations of human rights and human dignity, calling for the immediate cessation of such inhumane practices.
