Taliban Publicly Flog Woman in Bamyan for Alleged ‘Home Escape’

RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Supreme Court has confirmed the public flogging of a woman in Bamyan, sentencing her to one year and six months in prison, along with 39 lashes, for allegedly escaping from her home. The court’s statement, issued on Sunday, February 16, underscores the group’s continued enforcement of its draconian interpretation of justice, despite widespread condemnation from international human rights organizations. Over the past three years, the Taliban have carried out systematic arbitrary arrests, public floggings, and executions, targeting individuals on various charges. These include alleged affiliations with the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Freedom Front, cooperation with the former government’s security forces, suspected ties to ISIS, dissent against Taliban rule, and accusations of theft, adultery, and home escape.
Reports suggest that personal vendettas within the Taliban often lead to wrongful imprisonments, torture, and executions, as individuals are frequently targeted for simply falling out of favor with Taliban members. The group’s brutal suppression of civil liberties has sparked international outrage, with human rights organizations, foreign governments, and Afghanistan civil society groups repeatedly condemning the Taliban’s abuse of power. Calls for the group to cease its exploitation of religion as a tool for repression and to end its campaign of terror against the Afghanistani people have gone unheeded.
Despite mounting pressure, the Taliban remain unyielding, showing no willingness to abandon their oppressive rule. Their continued disregard for fundamental human rights cements Afghanistan’s status as one of the world’s most repressive regimes, particularly for women and marginalized communities.