Flogging is increasingly being used as a form of punishment in Afghanistan five years after the Islamist Taliban regained power, according to a report by the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO).
In the report published on Tuesday, AHRDO said 593 cases of flogging had been documented in 2024. This number rose to 1,074 people in 2025, the Canada-based organization said.
In the current year, the human rights organization said it had already documented 553 floggings by April.
The Taliban has defended this form of punishment, saying it is in line with the country's law and necessary to ensure security and safety for the public.
In most of the cases documented between February 2022 and April 2026, the floggings were imposed for extramarital relationships, alleged sexual offences and homosexuality. In many provinces, the victims were flogged at sports grounds and in public places.
According to the report, the punishment has also been carried out in prisons. The survey is based on publications by the Supreme Court of Afghanistan and publicly available data.
A report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) from late July said the Taliban authorities have not issued any announcements of public floggings since mid-April this year. Nevertheless, it said 137 people were flogged between April 1 and June 30.
As early as March, the UN Human Rights Office expressed concern about an increase in floggings in Afghanistan.
AHRDO says public flogging violates fundamental rights and contravenes the prohibition on torture. The Taliban recaptured the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August 2021 and have since been governing under strict, religiously motivated regulations.