19 People Punished by Whipping... Taliban Shows Signs of Reviving 'Rule of Terror'

Northeast: 19 People Flogged for Adultery, Theft, and Running Away
Taliban Orders Judges to Strictly Enforce Islamic Law 'Sharia'

On the 16th (local time), a Taliban soldier is standing guard in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Photo by EPA, Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] Signs of the revival of terror rule are emerging in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have regained power. According to the Associated Press and others on the 20th (local time), Abdul Rahim Rashid, an official of the Afghan Supreme Court, revealed that 19 people in the northeast were subjected to flogging for adultery, theft, and running away from home. This appears to be the first official confirmation that flogging punishments have been carried out in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in August last year.

Rashid stated that on the 11th, in Taloqan in the northeast, 10 men and 9 women were each flogged 39 times, and the punishment was carried out after Friday prayers at the main mosque attended by elders, scholars, and residents. It is unknown where these 19 individuals came from or what happened after the flogging. However, he explained in a statement that the case went through first and second trial courts before the guilty verdict was issued.

This news came after the Taliban ordered the judiciary to strictly enforce Sharia, the Islamic law. According to foreign media on the 12th, Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada told judges in Kandahar in the south, "You are responsible for thoroughly investigating theft, kidnapping, incitement, and if all conditions of Sharia are met, implementing Hudud and Qisas punishments," adding, "This is the decision of Sharia, my order, and an obligation."

The Hudud punishments he mentioned are Islamic penalties for serious crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, and adultery, involving extreme punishments such as beheading, stoning, amputation of hands and feet, and flogging. Qisas is a principle of punishment from the Quran (Islamic scripture), known as a proportional retaliation concept, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Political analyst Rahima Popalzai, familiar with Taliban issues, explained to AFP, "If the Taliban truly intend to implement Hudud and Qisas, their goal is to recreate the fear that had gradually disappeared from Afghan society."

During their first rule (1996?2001), the Taliban enforced terror rule through harsh punishments such as public executions, flogging, and stoning. However, since regaining power last year, they have claimed to pursue a more moderate governance, protecting the rights of women and minorities. Accordingly, no official records of extreme punishments have been compiled so far, but with the revelation of the flogging punishments on this day, concerns are rising that terror rule may be returning once again.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.