Kabul [Afghanistan], August 10 : More than 80 men and women have been subjected to public floggings across Afghanistan over the past month, raising alarm among human rights groups about ongoing abuses and a lack of judicial transparency under Taliban rule, Khamma Press reported.
According to Khamma Press, citing a weekly report released on Saturday by the Taliban's Supreme Court, 31 individuals were publicly flogged in the last week alone in several provinces, including Maidan Wardak, Kabul, Zabul, Kapisa, Baghlan, and Kunduz.
The court did not reveal the identities or specific charges of those punished, though other official statements confirmed that 14 people, including one woman, were flogged in Kabul and Zabul for alleged crimes such as alcohol sales, trafficking narcotic pills, and engaging in extramarital affairs.
The court also reported that 10 people in Kabul and Maidan Wardak were punished for alleged theft and drug-related offences. In contrast, eight others in Kabul and Kapisa faced similar punishments for drug trafficking, Khamma Press reported.
In total, Taliban officials say 81 individuals have been publicly flogged in recent weeks, with punishments frequently carried out in front of gathered crowds, despite repeated international condemnation and calls to end corporal punishment, which many human rights organisations regard as a form of torture.
Human Rights defenders argue that these floggings highlight the Taliban's continued disregard for fair trial procedures and legal standards, exacerbating concerns over the country's worsening human rights landscape, Khamma Press reported.
Observers warn that such practices are further eroding any prospects for judicial reform in Afghanistan and deepening the Taliban's isolation from the global community.
The practice of public flogging is not new to the Taliban regime, as this is not the first time they have implemented such punishments. The practice was prominent when the militant group was in power in the country before the US and Allied forces invaded it and established a new government backed by the US and allied powers in 2001.
However, since their withdrawal from the country back in August 2021, the Taliban again took over Afghanistan, regaining control.