Eight people have been flogged and sentenced to prison on charges of “abuse and dishonor” in western Herat province, a Taliban court said Thursday.
The Taliban Supreme Court newsletter said the eight people were punished with 20 lashes each and sentenced to five months imprisonment.
The decision by Herat’s military court was endorsed by the Taliban Supreme Court, it added.
Following its takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban has resumed its rule by severe corporal punishment and swift executions, sometimes as a public spectacle.
It’s held three public executions in the past week, the most recent in Jawzjan province.
It sparked criticism from foreign observers.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “The nature of public executions is extremely heinous, and we continue to stand against the use of the death penalty.”
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told privately-owned Tolo News in an interview: “Qisas [retribution] is a Sharia and Islamic ruling, and we will not tolerate any dissent or opposition to it that contradicts our values.
“The people of Afghanistan should adhere to Sharia rulings, including those concerning retribution,” he said.
