14 January 2026 :

Taliban have increased the use of corporal punishment at the start of the new year (2026), flogging at least 37 people in public across 10 provinces in less than a week, according to data from statements issued by their Supreme Court.
Figures released by the Taliban Supreme Court show the punishments represent a more than 68% increase compared with the first six days of the previous month.
The floggings were carried out in the provinces of Balkh, Uruzgan, Nangarhar, Khost, Ghazni, Kabul, Parwan, Kunar, Paktia and Herat, the statements said. Those punished were convicted of offences including alcohol sales, theft, adultery, same-sex relations, currency forgery and other charges.
Parwan, Herat and Uruzgan recorded the highest number of cases, according to the data.
The court’s announcements indicate that the punishments were carried out publicly, in front of local residents, marking a sharp rise in the visibility of corporal punishment.
Human rights activists said the Taliban were using public punishments to instil fear among the population.
Some Afghan citizens have also expressed concern about what they see as the growing normalisation of corporal punishment.
Data compiled from Supreme Court statements show a steady rise in such punishments in recent months. The Taliban flogged 71 people in the Afghan month of Mizan, 100 in Aqrab and 147 in Qaws.
In December, the Taliban also carried out a public execution in a sports stadium in Khost province, attended by thousands of people, including children, the court’s statements said.
The Taliban say their judicial system is based on their interpretation of Islamic law and have rejected criticism from international rights groups, which have repeatedly called for an end to corporal punishment.