Taliban Administers Public Flogging for Adultery and Theft in Kabul and Maidan Wardak

The Supreme Court of the Taliban in Afghanistan carried out public floggings on Wednesday (16 March), with two women and eight men punished in Maidan Wardak province for charges including “adultery”, “debauchery”, and “immorality”. Another individual faced flogging in Kabul for theft.

According to the Taliban Supreme Court statement published today, the defendants had completed their prison sentences before the public punishment, which was conducted today in the presence of Taliban officials and the public.

The harsh sentences were handed down by various local courts. The Taliban’s Supreme Court states, that 9 of these people were convicted by the primary court of Chak District and another by the Maidan Wardak Court. In Kabul, an individual was sentenced to five years and 39 lashes for theft.

Recent months have seen a surge in public punishments by the Taliban, including executions for murder in Jawzjan and Ghazni. While international organizations like UNAMA condemn these actions as “inhumane and humiliating” and call the Taliban to cease such severe punishments, the Taliban justify them as enforcing “Islamic Sharia” law.