19 Afghans lashed for adultery, theft as ‘hardline’ Taliban enforces Sharia

As the Taliban resorted to the strict implementation of Sharia, 19 people, including nine women, were lashed in Afghanistan’s northeast province for adultery, theft and running away from home.

When the Taliban seized power last year in August, they had promised to be more moderate and show leniency toward women and minority rights.

However, a Supreme Court official, Abdul Rahim Rashid, said on Sunday that 10 men and nine women were lashed 39 times each in Taloqan city in northeastern Takhar province, on 11 November.

The lashings for their “crimes” took place on Friday, at the city’s main mosque and in presence of elders, clerics and residents, the Associated Press reported.

On November 17, a Taliban spokesperson had said that they will stick to their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson, said that the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhunzada, met with Taliban judges a few days ago and instructed them to implement Sharia law in their rulings.

Several photos and videos have emerged on social media on and off since August last year, showing the Taliban punishing people. But the Supreme Court’s statement has confirmed the fears that the Taliban are serious about Sharia in Afghanistan.

Rashid did not provide personal details on the 19 people, such as where they were from, or what happened to them after they were lashed. He said their cases were assessed by two courts before they were convicted, confirming information in a Supreme Court statement.

During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the group carried out public executions, floggings, and stoning of those convicted of crimes in Taliban courts.