Taliban publicly flog woman and four others in Bamiyan and Logar provinces

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that four individuals, including a woman, were publicly flogged in the provinces of Bamiyan and Logar. According to the court’s press release on Monday, October 21, the individuals were punished for alleged "illicit relations" and other crimes, continuing the Taliban's use of public corporal punishment.

In Kharwar district of Logar province, a man and a woman were sentenced to 39 and 35 lashes, respectively, and both received four months of imprisonment. The Taliban court claimed that the couple had engaged in illicit relations, prompting the sentencing by the primary court in the district.

Similarly, two other individuals in Bamiyan province were subjected to public floggings and also sentenced to prison for their alleged crimes, although details of their charges remain unclear. These punishments are part of a larger trend, with the Taliban reportedly carrying out public floggings of at least 60 people across various provinces in the past month for crimes ranging from theft to moral offenses.

International human rights organizations have condemned the Taliban's continued use of corporal punishment, including public stoning and flogging, as violations of human dignity and fundamental rights. The International Human Rights Organization, in particular, has called these acts an affront to human values, urging the Taliban to halt such practices immediately.

Despite these appeals, the Taliban remain resolute in their enforcement of strict interpretations of Sharia law, using public punishment as a tool to enforce social order and impose their brand of justice. This resurgence of brutal methods has sparked concerns over the deterioration of human rights and legal protections under the Taliban's rule.