KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In Afghanistan, a chilling trend of public corporal punishment, particularly targeting women, is fueling fear and raising serious concerns about human rights under Taliban rule. The practice, which has seen a marked increase in recent months, strips individuals of dignity and underscores a deepening crisis for women in the country.
Earlier this year, a woman was publicly lashed in a provincial town for allegedly committing an extra-marital affair, alongside the man accused with her. The sentence, handed down by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, involved 30 lashes each and a suspended one-year prison term, carried out before local officials and residents. The province’s name has been withheld to protect the woman’s identity.
For Roya, a widowed mother of five struggling to survive in a harsh economic climate, the punishment was a devastating blow. Having lost her husband in a traffic accident six years ago, she has worked tirelessly at various jobs – from farm labor to cleaning houses and sewing – to provide for her children. Her efforts to earn a living, however, were misconstrued, leading to the accusation and subsequent flogging.
“She became a victim of circumstances, not a criminal,” said Naqeeba, a neighbor who has known Roya for years. “The charge was false.” Naqeeba described how Roya was seized without warning, thrown into a vehicle, and taken away without explanation.
The public flogging has left Roya unable to face her community with dignity, according to Naqeeba. “This was not a simple blow. It was a strike that, as long as she lives, she will never be able to hold her head high again in this neighborhood,” she said.
Roya’s case is not isolated. Reports indicate a surge in public punishments. According to Hasht e Subh Daily Media, at least 225 people were publicly flogged in Kabul alone in 2025 – averaging more than one every other day. Numerous other provinces have also carried out dozens of such punishments.
These punishments are often meted out without due process, with confessions reportedly extracted under pressure and the accused denied legal representation. The Taliban dismantled the Attorney General’s Office and the Independent Bar Association of Afghanistan in November 2021, effectively eliminating access to legal defense.
The international community has strongly condemned the escalating violence. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has consistently denounced the use of public flogging and other forms of corporal punishment as “inhuman and cruel.” He has repeatedly called on the Taliban to end the death penalty and all corporal punishment, and to respect the rights and dignity of detainees.
The increasing brutality reflects a broader pattern of suppression of dissent and control over Afghan life, four years after the Taliban seized power. According to the Associated Press, the Taliban have secured recognition from Russia and normalized ties across the region while silencing internal opposition.
Roya’s story, and those of countless other women, highlight the immense suffering endured under the current regime, a suffering often hidden from view. The trend of public corporal punishment serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for international attention and action to protect the rights and dignity of all Afghans.
