Taliban publicly flog three people in Herat for drug trafficking

Taliban officials publicly flogged three individuals in Herat province on Sunday, accusing them of drug trafficking. According to a statement from the Taliban's Supreme Court, each person received 139-39 lashes and was sentenced to two years in prison.

This is part of a growing trend of public beatings in the region. Recently, two others were flogged in Herat for alleged illicit relations. The practice of public punishment has drawn strong criticism from both domestic and international human rights groups.

Despite repeated calls from human rights organizations to end public punishments, the Taliban defend the practice as a means of enforcing Islamic Sharia law and promoting societal reforms.