Five people have been publicly whipped in Paktia province for various crimes and misdemeanors, according to a newsletter from the Taliban Supreme Court.
The people were accused in the newsletter of different charges, including theft, “moral corruption”, running away from home, and publishing false photographs on social media.
The details do not mention identifying details such as age or gender. But it is usually women and girls who are brutally punished for leaving home, even if they were leaving for their own safety.
The newsletter also did not note how many lashes were handed out to each person.
Paktia governor Mufti Abdullah Khalid was present at the public flogging, as well as the head of the court in Paktia province and other local officials, the newsletter stated.
The international community, the United Nations and the Human Rights Council have repeatedly called the public punishment of flogging inhumane and have asked the Taliban to cease this practice. But Taliban leaders have called the reaction an insult to Islamic values and interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
