KABUL – In a troubling incident reported from Zabul province, a Taliban court carried out public floggings on Sunday, chastising nine individuals, one of whom was a woman. The charges against them included allegations of robbery and involvement in an extramarital affair, as stated in an official Taliban communication.

The event took place in the city of Qalat and witnessed the presence of several local Taliban officials, among them Mawlawi Naqibullah Akhundzada, who heads the Taliban court. Residents of Zabul also attended the event, although the Taliban statement did not offer further specifics regarding the incident.

This incident adds to a growing tally of public lashings carried out by the Taliban, with at least 300 such cases reported since the announcement of the implementation of Sharia law in their courts last December. The severity of these punishments continues to raise concerns within the international community, drawing attention to the human rights situation in regions under Taliban control.

culled from Afghanistan Times