Taliban suspends fiber optic network maintenance and expansion
4 hours ago
- Report by Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisation covers Taliban public floggings from 2022-2026, affecting 422 women, 1,761 men, and 562 unspecified.
- Kabul province accounts for 88% of flogging cases, while Nuristan has the lowest at 1%; highest incidents in 2025 (262), lowest in 2023 (30).
- Most floggings are for alleged sexual offences and moral crimes, used as tools of punishment, intimidation, and social control.
- Report documents arbitrary detention, forced confessions, denial of legal rights; considers flogging a violation of fundamental rights and potentially crimes against humanity.
- Includes 23 personal testimonies, calls for independent monitoring, investigation, and accountability; urges UN and ICC to act.
- Taliban policies toward women and girls described as 'gender apartheid'; flogging data shows over 107,550 lashes from 2021 to March 2026.
- Taliban restricted public flogging information since April 22, 2026, following an investigative report; UN experts condemn the practice as torture.