AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN PUBLICLY FLOG 18 PEOPLE IN KABUL AND BAMYAN

Taliban authorities publicly flogged 18 people in Kabul and Bamyan provinces in early March 2026, Kabul Now reported on March 3, 2026.
The Primary Court for the Prevention of Narcotics in Kabul sentenced 17 individuals for trafficking "Tablet K," methamphetamine, and alcohol, with sentences including 15-39 lashes and prison terms ranging from seven months to two and a half years.
According to reports, these punishments are part of a broader, intensifying campaign by the Taliban to enforce their interpretation of Sharia law, with hundreds subjected to floggings in recent months. 
The Taliban has reported over 1,000 public floggings in 2025 alone, ignoring international condemnation from bodies like the UN, which describe the practices as inhumane.