The Taliban flogged nine individuals in Ghazni and Takhar provinces

The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that nine individuals in Ghazni and Takhar provinces were sentenced to flogging for various crimes.

The court today, Monday, February 17th, issued two separate statements regarding the execution of these sentences, stating that the individuals were convicted of “theft, running away from home, kidnapping, and extramarital sexual relations” and were sentenced to flogging and imprisonment.

According to one of the court’s statements, five individuals (including one woman) in the Jaghori district of Ghazni province were sentenced to between 30 and 39 lashes in public for charges of “theft, running away from home, and kidnapping.” Two of the convicted individuals, according to the initial verdict of the Jaghori court, were sentenced to six months to one and a half years in prison, while three others were sentenced to two to five years in prison.

In another statement, the court mentioned that four individuals (including two women) in the Farkhar district of Takhar province were sentenced to 39 lashes in public for “extramarital sexual relations.” Three of them were sentenced to six months, one year, and one and a half years in prison, respectively, according to the initial verdict of the Farkhar court, and another individual was sentenced to five years in prison.

Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have intensified the implementation of corporal and public punishments as part of their judicial policy. This approach has faced widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, which have repeatedly called for an end to such punishments, arguing that they are incompatible with international law and human dignity.