Seven Afghan men flogged on Taliban-run Supreme Court order
The Hindu
They were ‘punished’ for crimes including selling and consuming alcoho
Taliban authorities flogged seven men on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, for crimes including selling and consuming alcohol, an official said — the first such sentence to be handed out by Afghanistan's courts since the hard-line Islamists seized power.
The lashings were a grim reminder of the harsh punishments the Taliban delivered during their first regime between 1996 and 2001.
The seven accused had confessed to their crimes and were sentenced to 35 lashes each, the Supreme Court said in a statement.
"The punishment was carried out today" in the capital, Supreme Court official Abdul Basir Mashal said.
"It is the first time that a court has issued such an order according to the sharia law since the Islamic Emirate was formed in Afghanistan," he said.
Taliban fighters have reportedly carried out floggings without court orders since taking power, according to social media posts that could not be independently verified.
The seven men had been charged in separate cases for offences such as selling and consuming alcohol, as well as stealing cars, the court statement said.
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