This recent surge adds to a broader pattern: at least 457 people were flogged in the four preceding solar months. Cumulative data indicates a sharp rise in corporal punishments since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
In a stark illustration of the Taliban’s ongoing enforcement of their strict interpretation of Islamic law, nearly 140 individuals – including eight women – were publicly flogged across Afghanistan over the past solar month of Jadi (December 22, 2025, to January 21, 2026). This figure comes from data compiled by Amu TV based on official statements from the Taliban Supreme Court and provincial courts.
The floggings took place in 17 provinces, with the highest numbers reported in Kunar, Kabul, Parwan, Nangarhar, and Herat, where 46 cases were concentrated. Offenses cited by Taliban authorities included drug use and trafficking, alcohol consumption, “illicit relations,” theft, and unlawful entry into private homes. In one documented case from Uruzgan province, six people were punished for theft, same-sex relations, and related charges.
The Taliban describe their judicial system as rooted in Shariah law, rejecting international criticism by asserting that such punishments align with their religious principles. Court statements routinely refer to those sentenced as “accused,” with punishments carried out publicly to serve as deterrents.
This recent surge adds to a broader pattern: at least 457 people were flogged in the four preceding solar months. Cumulative data indicates a sharp rise in corporal punishments since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
International Condemnation and Human Rights Concerns
Human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced these practices as violations of international law. Amnesty International has described public floggings as “cruel and shocking,” constituting torture and other ill-treatment prohibited under global standards. In reports and statements from 2025, Amnesty highlighted the arbitrary nature of Taliban justice, noting inconsistencies in verdicts for similar offenses, lack of fair trials, and the use of punishments like flogging to instil fear and control.
For instance, Amnesty has pointed out that such spectacles – often in stadiums or public squares – deprive individuals of dignity and expose them to further community stigma, particularly affecting women and girls accused of “moral crimes” like running away or adultery. The group has urged the Taliban to end corporal punishment immediately and reinstate formal legal frameworks compliant with human rights obligations.
The United Nations has echoed these calls, documenting weekly incidents in various provinces and labelling the punishments cruel, inhuman, and degrading. Despite international pressure, the Taliban have dismissed demands to halt the practice, maintaining that their system upholds Islamic values.
These developments occur against a backdrop of worsening human rights under Taliban rule, including severe restrictions on women and girls, arbitrary detentions, and impunity for abuses. Activists warn that public floggings serve not only as penalties but as tools to suppress dissent and enforce social control across Afghan society.
The latest data underscores the persistence of these hardline measures more than four years into Taliban governance, drawing renewed attention to the plight of ordinary Afghans facing an unpredictable and severe justice system.
Image: Amu TV
