At least 23 people have been flogged in two provinces on various charges, according to the Taliban Supreme Court.
At least 19 people were flogged in Sar-e Pol province on Wednesday, accused of a number of offences including fornication and adultery, the newsletter said.
The corporal punishments were staged in public in the central stadium of Sar-epol province for charges of “fornication, adultery, illicit relationships, armed robbery, running away from home, and insulting prophetic hadiths.”
The newsletter did not provide details about how many times they were lashed nor whether those being flogged were women or men. It said officials of Gosfandi districts, the governor and the police chief of the province, and a number of residents of that province had attended the flogging.
The Taliban Supreme Court tweeted that four more people were flogged in Shahjoy district of Zabul province on charges of corruption, theft, and embezzlement.
The tweet did not say anything about whether they were men or women.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, they have resumed severe corporal punishment of men and women in public for charges that previously were not considered criminal conduct, such as leaving home without consent from family or sex outside marriage.
Although the practice of corporal punishment has sparked extensive domestic and foreign criticism, the Taliban has defended the practice saying it’s an internal issue to Afghanistan and is in accordance with Islamic Sharia.
