Taliban publicly flog a man and woman in Takhar for alleged illicit relations

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that it has publicly punished a man and a woman in Takhar province, sentencing them to 39 lashes each for allegedly engaging in "illicit relations." The flogging took place in the Farkhar district following the ruling by a Taliban primary court.

The public punishment, carried out on Sunday, December 29, is part of a broader trend of corporal punishment by the Taliban. In the last four days alone, nearly 20 people have been subjected to public floggings in various provinces for crimes ranging from theft to moral offenses. Despite repeated appeals from international human rights organizations for an end to such practices, the Taliban continue to administer public punishments.

Over the past six months, more than 200 people have been flogged in public across Afghanistan, a figure that highlights the Taliban's continued adherence to their strict interpretation of Sharia law. International bodies, including human rights organizations, have repeatedly condemned these acts, calling them violations of human dignity and a breach of international human rights norms.

However, the Taliban remain resolute in enforcing public punishments as a means of maintaining order and imposing their interpretation of Islamic justice, further deepening the human rights crisis in the country.