The Taliban’s Supreme Court has confirmed the public flogging of six individuals — four men and two women — in the Hesa Awal Kohistan district of Kapisa province, as part of its ongoing enforcement of its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
According to an official statement released on Friday, the individuals were convicted on charges including same-sex relations between men, fleeing from home, and engaging in extramarital sex. Sentences handed down by the court included lashings and prison terms ranging from six months to one year. The punishments were carried out publicly, witnessed by local officials, court staff, and residents.
This latest incident forms part of a broader pattern, with at least 55 people subjected to public floggings across Afghanistan in the past 10 days alone, according to Taliban authorities.
The group defends such actions as the implementation of “Islamic Sharia,” though international human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the practice. They argue that public corporal punishment constitutes torture and a violation of international human rights law.
Only a day earlier, Taliban courts carried out similar punishments on 12 individuals in the provinces of Bamiyan, Ghazni, and Parwan, sparking renewed concern among global rights advocates and foreign governments.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has reintroduced harsh public punishments, including floggings and executions, as part of its justice system — a move that continues to draw sharp international criticism.
