The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that 16 people were publicly flogged in Kapisa and Khost provinces for alleged moral offences.
In separate statements issued on Sunday, 28 September, the court confirmed that seven men and six women were punished in Kapisa province for fleeing their homes and engaging in extramarital relationships.
Taliban officials also carried out similar punishments in Khost province, where three more people were flogged in Nader Shah Kot district.
Each of the accused was sentenced to three months in prison and 30 lashes.
Residents have strongly criticised the punishments, saying they breach fundamental human rights and international law and spread fear across communities. International analysts warn that such measures deepen a culture of violence and fuel extremist ideology under Taliban rule.
