In the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, human rights abuses by the Taliban have been widely reported. However, a recent report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has shed light on the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and the death penalty, which has received less attention from the international community.
According to the report, since August 2021 until November 2022, UNAMA documented 18 cases of corporal punishment, mostly for so-called moral crimes such as sex outside of marriage and women “running away” from their homes, often to escape domestic violence. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are also at high risk under the Taliban and have been subjected to lashings. Furthermore, the report indicates that the use of corporal punishment increased significantly since November 2022 when the Taliban’s leader called on judges to impose it whenever “Sharia [Islamic law] conditions … are met.”
Corporal punishment has also been carried out in public, including a mass lashing of 27 people in a sports stadium in Parwan on December 8. These numbers, however, do not encompass the many ad hoc beatings that Taliban authorities inflict upon protesters and journalists for criticizing Taliban policies.
The use of corporal punishment is not new for the Taliban. As the group gained more territory after 2005, they implemented parallel justice structures in areas they controlled, leading to lashings, amputations, and executions. Between 2010 and 2021, UNAMA documented 182 such punishments by the Taliban, likely an undercount given the difficulty in accessing information from areas under Taliban control during the conflict.
It is worth noting that the former Afghan government also carried out corporal punishments, although on a rare occasion. Despite a brief moratorium on the death penalty after 2001, Afghan politicians of every stripe have supported capital punishment. Since the Taliban takeover, courts and local officials have authorized several executions, including one stoning and several hangings, publicly displayed.
However, the report also reveals the Taliban’s extrajudicial executions, mostly of previous government security force members, estimated to be in the hundreds.
The widespread use of corporal punishment and the death penalty by the Taliban is a breach of international law. Although the Taliban has shown contempt for human rights law, pressing the Taliban to end these abuses should continue via UN Security Council members. International sanctions should remain in place and expanded should Taliban refuse to end these barbaric practices.
In conclusion, it is up to the international community and human rights organizations to condemn and pressure the Taliban to uphold international law. The Taliban must take responsibility for its actions and recognize the importance of human rights for a more peaceful and just society without violence towards women, children, or any group subjected to their abuse.
<< photo by Ron Lach >>
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