Taliban publicly flogs boy, girl in Bamyan

BAMYAN (Khaama Press): A boy and a girl who were allegedly in love with one another were ruled guilty of having premarital affairs by a Taliban court in the central Afghan province of Bamyan and were sentenced to receive lashes in public.
The Taliban local court in Bamyan province sentenced a young boy and girl to 39 flogging on Thursday on the basis of having a premarital relationship, the sources said.
Arezoo and Mohammad Essa reportedly traveled to Bamyan province for fun when they were detained by Taliban forces, according to domestic media.
About a thousand people are alleged to have witnessed the Taliban’s execution of the punishment as it was carried out in public.
The Taliban local officials have yet to respond to the situation and the implementation of the punishment given publicly. The Taliban have previously lashed people accused of committing adultery in various parts of the country.
This comes as the Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a meeting with judges told them to not hesitate in applying Hadd and Qisas punishments.
The Taliban official told them that it is a religious obligation, Wajib, to apply the Hadd and Qisas punishments as well as obeying his orders as the Amir al-Mu’minin (Commander of the Faithful), a title given to the supreme leader of an Islamic community.
According to Islamic law, Hadd offenses are punishable by death, amputation of the hands and feet, whipping, and other harsh punishments, whereas Qisas, also known as “eye for an eye,” is the Islamic principle of retributive justice and calls for a punishment analogous to the crime.