Field Trials Continue: Taliban Flogged 23 People in One Week
According to statistics released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court and collected by R.M. Media, 23 people — including six women — were flogged in public over the past week in Jowzjan, Badakhshan, and Kabul on various charges.
On Saturday, August 31, in Aqcha district of Jowzjan, the Taliban flogged two people, including a woman, on charges of having relations outside of marriage. Both were also sentenced to one year in prison.
On Sunday, September 1, in Badakhshan province, the group flogged seven people, including three women, in public—accusing them of extramarital relations and theft. Each received 39 lashes before a crowd and was sentenced to prison terms ranging from one and a half to two years.
On Monday, September 2, in Kabul, the Taliban flogged 12 people accused of buying, selling, and trafficking narcotics. Each received between 10 and 39 lashes and was sentenced to up to one year in prison.
On Tuesday, September 3, in Kabul and Darzab district of Jowzjan, two women were flogged 39 times on charges of extramarital relations and sentenced to two years in prison.
Just a week earlier, the Taliban had also punished more than 35 men and women in various provinces through their arbitrary courts.
Since taking power four years ago, the Taliban have maintained a continuous cycle of field trials, with their regulations growing harsher by the day.
Ordinary citizens view such actions as a tool of intimidation, saying the Taliban exploit religion to force people into obedience.
