Kabul, Aug 10: More than 80 men and women have been publicly flogged across Afghanistan in the past month, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights groups over ongoing abuses under Taliban rule.
According to a report by Khamma Press citing the Taliban’s Supreme Court weekly update, 31 individuals were flogged just in the last week in provinces including Maidan Wardak, Kabul, Zabul, Kapisa, Baghlan, and Kunduz. The court did not disclose the identities or specific charges of those punished.
Other official statements confirmed that 14 people—one of them a woman—were flogged in Kabul and Zabul for alleged offenses such as selling alcohol, trafficking narcotic pills, and engaging in extramarital affairs. Additionally, 10 individuals in Kabul and Maidan Wardak faced punishment for theft and drug-related crimes, while eight others in Kabul and Kapisa were punished for drug trafficking.
The Taliban maintain that a total of 81 people have been publicly flogged recently, with many punishments carried out before gathered crowds. Despite repeated international calls to end corporal punishment—widely regarded as torture—these public floggings persist.
Human rights defenders argue that these actions expose the Taliban’s disregard for fair trial procedures and basic legal standards, intensifying concerns over Afghanistan’s deteriorating human rights situation. Observers warn that such practices undermine prospects for judicial reform and deepen the Taliban’s isolation from the global community.
Public flogging is not a new practice for the Taliban, having been a hallmark of their previous rule before their ouster in 2001. Following their return to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US and allied forces, the Taliban have reinstated these punishments as part of their governance.
The continuing use of public corporal punishment highlights the challenges ahead for Afghanistan’s legal system and human rights under Taliban control.
