Taliban flogs two women in public in Khost and Baghlan

The Taliban has publicly flogged two women in separate incidents in the provinces of Khost and Baghlan, drawing renewed condemnation from human rights organizations.

In Khost, a woman was punished with 39 lashes in public on charges of "moral corruption." The Supreme Court of the Taliban announced on Tuesday, November 19, that the woman was also sentenced to five months in prison following the flogging.

In a separate statement, the Taliban’s judiciary reported that another woman had been flogged in public in Baghlan province under similar accusations.

Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has significantly increased the use of corporal punishments, including public floggings and executions, despite widespread international criticism. The United Nations Human Rights Office has repeatedly condemned such practices, labeling them clear violations of international human rights law.

The Taliban’s escalating use of these punishments, particularly targeting women, has raised alarm among global human rights advocates. The actions underscore the group’s increasingly strict policies and its disregard for international standards of justice and human dignity.

Observers fear that these practices further erode the already precarious state of human rights in Afghanistan, especially for women and marginalized groups, under the Taliban regime.