Taliban Publicly Lash Three Individuals in Kunduz and Zabul Provinces

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly lashed three individuals in Kalah Zal district of Kunduz province and Shah Joy district of Zabul province on charges of theft and sodomy.

The punishments followed sentencing to 30 to 39 lashes each and prison terms of one year and six months to three years. The Taliban's Supreme Court confirmed the sentences in two separate official statements.

The lashings were part of broader enforcement under the Taliban's judicial system. In solar year 1404, the group carried out 1,186 lash sentences across dozens of provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Takhar, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, and others.

In the past eight months of solar year 1404, nearly 100 women received public lashings. Qisas punishments, or retributive executions, occurred in four provinces during the year: a recent public qisas in Khost stadium witnessed by thousands, including children; three in Badghis; one in Farah; and one in Nimroz.

In a separate case, one person in Kapisa province was lashed 39 times for advertising against the Taliban and sentenced to one year and six months in prison.