Taliban authorities in Kabul have flogged a woman and seven men on charges including drug trafficking, drug sales, and “running away from home,” according to a statement from the group’s Supreme Court.

The court said the punishments ranged from 10 to 39 lashes, along with prison terms of between seven months and two years.

In a statement issued on Sunday, 5 October, the Taliban said their anti-narcotics court in Kabul sentenced six men to flogging for trafficking and selling of banned drugs.

The statement added that the Kabul Primary Court also flogged a woman and a man for “running away from home,” each receiving 35 lashes and a two-year prison sentence.

Earlier, on 2 October, the Taliban announced that 18 people including seven women had been flogged across Khost, Kapisa, and Maidan Wardak provinces on charges such as extramarital relations and fleeing home.

Despite international condemnation of corporal punishment and torture, the Taliban have continued to publicly flog hundreds of people since returning to power in 2021. The group insists that such punishments are in line with its interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.