Findings from Tarz Press reveal that the Taliban's Supreme Court administered canonical punishments to 35 people, including one woman, across nine Afghan provinces in the past month. Most of these punishments took place in Khost province.
The data, collected from the Taliban Supreme Court’s posts on X from August 1 to August 30, shows that the punishments were carried out in Khost, Ghazni, Helmand, Zabul, Kabul, Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Herat, and Balkh provinces. The charges against those punished ranged from adultery, sodomy, and theft to blasphemy and other crimes.
Khost saw the highest number of punishments, with 13 individuals, including a woman, receiving canonical punishments for various crimes. Other provinces like Ghazni, Helmand, and Zabul saw between two to four individuals punished, while Balkh and Kandahar each had one person subjected to these punishments. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the group has reintroduced canonical punishments, raising concerns from both domestic and international organizations over the lack of due process and the harshness of these measures.
Public Reaction and Concerns
Najibullah, a resident of Kabul, criticized these punishments as often being conducted in "field trials" without formal judicial proceedings. He stated that the punishments seem disproportionately applied to ordinary and impoverished individuals, while Taliban members are rarely subjected to the same treatment.
Khaksar, from Parwan province, echoed similar concerns. He mentioned knowing several individuals who worked with the Taliban and committed crimes, yet their cases remain hidden, with no one held accountable. "There is corruption in this as well," he said. "If someone is powerful, their offender is punished; if someone is weak, they are ignored." Khaksar called for the Taliban to apply justice equally to all.
