World News
Taliban corporal punishments escalate across Afghanistan following leadership decree
Public floggings have surged in Afghanistan following a leadership directive, according to reporting by NPR.
The short version
- Rights groups and the United Nations report a sharp rise in Taliban corporal punishments, including over 1,100 floggings in 2025 alone.[NPR]
- The punishments follow a March 2024 announcement by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada reviving public floggings and stonings.[NPR]
- Women and marginalized groups are disproportionately targeted under discriminatory restrictions, while legal experts warn the acts breach international human rights treaties.[NPR]
- The Taliban did not respond to requests for comment, and footage showing public floggings remains unverified independently.[NPR]
Key facts
- Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada announced in March 2024 that the justice system would resume corporal punishments including public floggings and stonings.[NPR]
- An April 2026 report by the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization documented 2,745 people subjected to corporal punishment between February 2022 and April 2026 using Taliban public records.[NPR]
- A United Nations report identified at least 1,110 flogging cases in 2025 alone, exceeding the combined total of all previous years.[NPR]
- Legal experts argue that Afghanistan remains bound to international human rights treaties that prohibit cruel or degrading punishments.[NPR]
- Women and marginalized groups face a disproportionate share of the punishments through charges such as dress code violations.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- Video recordings circulating of public floggings have not been independently verified, and Taliban officials did not reply to inquiries.[NPR]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.