Taliban Violates International Obligations & Human Dignity, Says United Nations
On Wednesday, the United Nations Human Rights Office stated that the flogging of 63 men and women in Sar-e Pul province has “deeply disturbed" the organisation.
The office stated that corporal punishment, such as flogging, violates human dignity and Afghanistan's international obligations.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, also condemned the corporal punishment by the Taliban and called for an end to this practice.
On Tuesday, the Taliban had announced that 63 people, including 49 men and 14 women, were publicly flogged in the central stadium of Sar-e Pul province. The Taliban's Supreme Court stated that these individuals were charged with "theft, sodomy, and illicit relations”.
In response to this action by the Taliban, the UN Human Rights Office said, "We are deeply disturbed by the widespread, continued use of corporal punishment in Afghanistan and urge the de facto authorities to immediately cease all forms of corporal punishment. "
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, also condemned the widespread flogging of men, women, and children in Sar-e Pul and Ghor for so-called "moral crimes" such as adultery and elopement. He emphasised that this practice violates Afghanistan's obligations to prohibit torture and other forms of cruel and inhuman punishment, calling for an immediate end to it.
The UN Human Rights Office stated that public punishments increase violence against women. The office said that women who are publicly punished for adultery and other “so-called” moral crimes are more at risk of domestic and social violence.
The Taliban has repeatedly rejected criticisms from governments and human rights organisations regarding corporal punishment in Afghanistan. The Taliban has accused foreign governments and organisations of interfering in its internal affairs and stated that these punishments have religious legitimacy and will not be abandoned.
