Taliban Flog Over 1,180 People, Carry Out Public Executions Across Afghanistan in Past Year

The Taliban carried out at least 1,186 floggings and six public executions across Afghanistan during the solar year 1404 (March 2025 to March 2026), according to official statements and data compiled by Amu TV.

The figures, released by the Taliban Supreme Court, indicate that corporal punishment remains widespread throughout the country. The reported total does not account for the final 12 days of the month of Saratan (July 11–22), suggesting the actual number of floggings could be higher.

Punishments were reported in dozens of provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Khost, Badakhshan, Ghor, Paktia, Paktika, Faryab, Laghman, Kapisa, Parwan, Uruzgan, Zabul, Kunar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badghis, Farah, Nimroz, Logar, Jawzjan, Helmand, Sar-e-Pul, Daikundi, and Bamiyan.

According to Taliban court statements, corporal punishments increased in the latter months of the year, with women also among those punished. Nearly 100 women were reportedly flogged over an eight-month period, with many punishments carried out publicly.

Human rights advocates warn that the expansion of corporal punishment reflects broader restrictions under Taliban rule and raises serious concerns about due process and fundamental freedoms. Abdul Ahad Farzam, a human rights researcher, stated, “These punishments violate basic human rights standards and create a climate of fear in society.”

Public executions were carried out under the principle of qisas, or retributive justice, with residents in at least four provinces witnessing such events. In the most recent case, a man was executed in a Khost sports stadium in front of thousands, including children. Other executions were reported in Badghis, Farah, and Nimroz provinces.

In addition to corporal punishment and executions, the Taliban introduced a new penal code during the year, which drew widespread international criticism for its severity and lack of due process protections. Enforcement against dissent has also expanded. In Kapisa, a man was sentenced to 39 lashes and 18 months in prison for alleged “propaganda against the system,” while another individual in Badghis was flogged and imprisoned for allegedly insulting Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Despite mounting criticism, the Taliban have defended these punishments as enforcement of Islamic law. Rights groups and international observers, however, warn that such practices further isolate Afghanistan and threaten the protection of basic freedoms.