Flogging of 4 Members of LGBTQ+ Community by Taliban Condemned by Rainbow Afghanistan

An organisation supporting LGBTQ+ individuals in Afghanistan has condemned the flogging of four members of this community by the Taliban.

Rainbow Afghanistan said that the UN and countries "involved in the Afghanistan disaster" are ignoring the plight of the country's LGBTQ+ community.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the organisation expressed concern over the situation of the community in Afghanistan and their punishment by the Taliban.

On Monday, the Taliban flogged four people in the Sayed Khel district of Parwan province on charges of having a sexual relationship.

Rainbow Afghanistan in Germany emphasised in the statement that members of their community have faced increasing risks and threats under the Taliban rule over the past three years.

The statement reads, "We witness the punishment of LGBTQ+ individuals in public by the Taliban every day, and unfortunately, the UN, its mission in Afghanistan, and the countries involved in the Afghanistan disaster pay little attention to the dire situation of LGBTQ+ individuals in Afghanistan."

They also expressed concern about the lack of guarantees for LGBTQ+ rights at the third Doha meeting.

This organisation, which supports gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, stresses that the UN, by ignoring the demands of Afghanistan's LGBTQ community, has contributed to the "repetition of a dark history”.

Rainbow Afghanistan stated, "The UN has always surrendered to the demands of anti-LGBTQ+ religious groups and extremists, including the Taliban."

Homosexuality is illegal in Afghanistan and Islam. Since the Taliban's return to power, dozens of individuals across the country have been punished on charges of having sexual relations.