The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that 13 individuals were publicly flogged in the provinces of Khost and Jowzjan following verdicts issued by the group’s primary courts.

In Darzab district of Jowzjan, two women were sentenced to 39 lashes each after being accused of extramarital affairs and fleeing their homes. The court also handed down additional sentences of three years’ imprisonment for both women.

Meanwhile, in Khost province, the Taliban court convicted two men and one woman of engaging in extramarital sexual relations, and a further six men and two women of so-called “illicit relationships.” All received corporal punishment ranging from 35 to 39 lashes.

According to a statement released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court on Saturday, 13 April, the floggings were carried out in public, with local Taliban officials and members of the community in attendance.

The court did not provide any information regarding the judicial process or whether the accused had access to legal counsel. Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, citing serious concerns over the absence of due process and fair trial standards under the group’s rule.

Despite ongoing international criticism, the Taliban continue to impose harsh punishments, often in public, as part of their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Earlier, on Friday, 11 April, the Taliban publicly executed four men in separate locations across Afghanistan. According to the Supreme Court, two were executed in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province; one in Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz; and another in the capital of Farah province. These executions, like the floggings, were carried out without transparent legal proceedings, drawing condemnation from global rights groups.