3 Afghan women among 12 people publicly flogged in packed stadium over ‘moral crimes’

Thousands of people who had gathered to enjoy a match at a football stadium in Afghanistan on Wednesday became spectators of a horrid act when twelve people were brutally lashed by Taliban authorities. According to BBC, those attacked included three women. As per a Taliban official, the people were flogged on the grounds of being guilty of "moral crimes" such as theft, infidelity, and homosexual intercourse.

Omar Mansoor Mujahidm, the Taliban spokesman for Logar, which is the region where the incident occurred, claimed that the three women were released after they had endured the punishment. On the other hand, some of the men who were thrashed were imprisoned, however, the exact figure remains uncertain. 

One official of the Taliban told BBC that each person was given between 21 and 39 lashes. Another said that the highest number of beatings one person can get is 39. The incident is said to be the second act of public lashing that has been carried out by the Islamic group this month. It rings a bell to the old practices that the Taliban would use during their reign in the 1990s. Just last week, 19 people faced a similar attack in northern Afghanistan’s Takhar province, according to reports.

Why such harsh thrashings? 

The incident in Logar comes as a result of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s order to judges that they must put in place strict punishments for acts that do not fall under the Islamic Sharia law. While the law specifies punishments like stoning, public amputations, and beheading, the Taliban are yet to properly define what kind of crimes fall under receiving such punishments.

The leader’s order contradicts the Taliban’s assurance last year, when it promised to control the country in a relatively lenient manner compared to the 1996-2001 rule, a time when public executions and floggings were fairly common practices at Kabul’s national stadium. 

Last year, the group also assured that it would not oppress women by resorting to violence. However, since taking over, several women have faced beatings for demanding freedom and rights. Earlier this month, Afghan women were also denied to access amusement parks in Kabul due to restrictions put in place by the government.