The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that ten individuals have been publicly flogged in Kabul and Maidan Wardak provinces on various charges, including drug trafficking and theft.
In two separate statements released on Tuesday, August 5, the court stated that nine people in Kabul were convicted of purchasing, selling, and smuggling narcotic pills and hashish. Following judicial rulings, each was sentenced to between 10 and 20 lashes and one to eighteen months in prison.
In another statement, the court reported that one person in the Daymirdad district of Maidan Wardak province was sentenced to 39 lashes in public for theft, based on a ruling by the district’s primary court.
Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly carried out public punishments, including flogging and executions.
International human rights organizations have consistently condemned such practices, describing them as violations of human dignity, due process, and international human rights standards. They emphasize that the Taliban’s judicial system lacks transparency, fairness, and basic legal protections, such as access to defense lawyers.
The United Nations has also repeatedly urged the Taliban to halt corporal punishment and public executions and to adhere to international human rights obligations.
