24 December 2025 :

The Taliban publicly flogged nine people, including four women, in Bamyan and Kapisa provinces on charges of “illicit relationships” and “adultery,” the group’s supreme court announced.
In Bamyan province on Sunday, four individuals, including two women, were publicly lashed after being convicted of “illicit relationships” and “adultery.” Each received up to 39 lashes and were sentenced to prison terms of up to two years.
In Kapisa province, five individuals, including two women, were publicly lashed on Wednesday in Hesa Awal Kohistan district. The court said the individuals were convicted of “illicit relationships” and each received 39 lashes. Local authorities and members of the public witnessed the punishments, according to the court.
These floggings are part of a wider pattern of public corporal punishment carried out by the Taliban since they returned to power in 2021. Earlier this week, at least 22 other individuals were publicly flogged in three other provinces on various charges, reflecting an intensification of the practice.
A recent UN report documented at least 215 cases of public corporal punishment in Afghanistan between August 1 and October 31, including 42 women, two girls, and one boy.
The report said those punished were accused of offenses ranging from adultery, fleeing their homes, and same-sex relations to alcohol consumption and gambling.