Taliban Flog Two People in Faryab on Charges of Theft

Kokcha News Agency – The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that two individuals were publicly flogged in Dawlatabad district of Faryab province on Saturday, accused of theft. According to the court’s statement, each defendant was sentenced to one year in prison in addition to receiving 36 lashes in front of a crowd.

This is not the first time the Taliban has carried out such punishments. The group has previously flogged at least six people for various offenses in public, claiming these actions are in line with “Islamic Sharia.” However, these punishments have faced widespread criticism.

Human rights organizations have expressed concern over the lack of an independent judiciary and the increasing use of corporal punishment, calling for an immediate halt to such practices. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, has stated that the implementation of flogging violates international laws and emphasized that “severe punishments have significantly increased in 2025 and must be stopped immediately.”