Three women publicly flogged in Afghanistan

Twelve people, three of whom were women, were publicly flogged in front of a large audience at an Afghan football stadium.

An official from the Taliban informed the BBC that the group had committed “moral offences” like adultery, theft, and gay sex. This is reportedly the second time in a month that the Islamist organisation has performed public beatings. The action indicate a return to the rigid policies that marked the Taliban’s prior administration in the 1990s.

Omar Mansoor Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman for the eastern Afghan province of Logar where the beatings took place, claimed that all three women were released after receiving punishment. He said that some of the men were imprisoned, although it is unclear how many.

Each of the men and women received somewhere between 21 and 39 lashes. Another Taliban official stated that a person can receive a maximum of 39 lashes.

Last week, a similar flogging in the Afghan region of Takhar resulted in the punishment of 19 other individuals.

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A week prior to the floggings in Logar province, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, had instructed judges to impose penalties for certain crimes in accordance with the group’s rigid interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

This interpretation of Islamic law permits public beheadings, public amputations, and stoning, although the Taliban has not yet formally codified the precise offenses and associated punishments.

The supreme leader’s order is the most recent indication that the Taliban, who promised to rule more moderately when they came to power last year, is adopting a harder position on rights and liberties.

The Taliban were denounced for regularly carrying out public punishments during their leadership from 1996 to 2001, including public hangings and floggings at the national stadium in Kabul.

The administration also promised that it would not subject women to such cruel repression in the future. However, since the group came back to power, women’s liberties have been severely restricted, and some have even been physically assaulted for demanding rights.