The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that a man convicted of theft was publicly flogged in Ghazni province. According to the court, the individual received 39 lashes and was sentenced to three years in prison.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 1 May, the court said the punishment was administered publicly by the primary court of Qarabagh district the previous day. The man’s identity has not been disclosed.

The incident marks another instance of the Taliban’s enforcement of its strict interpretation of Sharia law, which includes corporal punishment for certain crimes. Public floggings, executions, and amputations have drawn international condemnation since the group’s return to power in August 2021.

While the Taliban claims such punishments serve as a deterrent and are carried out following legal procedures, human rights organisations continue to criticise the lack of transparency, due process, and the use of punishments deemed inhumane under international law.