In the last six months, the Taliban have carried out hundreds of flogging incidents, stonings and public executions in Afghanistan, which has been slammed by the United Nations (UN) in its latest report.

Ever since the hardline Islamist regime took over Afghanistan in 2021, it has asked fighters, judges and leaders to implement the stringent Sharia law as per their interpretation, a pattern which they have followed from the early days of their previous rule in the 1990s.

And in reaction to the report of the UN, which called the methods of the Taliban “archaic corporal punishment”, the militant group stated that it is obliged to follow Islamic law's strict interpretation.

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UN report on corporal punishment and death penalty released today: 
274 men, 58 women and two boys publicly flogged in last six months in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>. 
Read full report: <a href="https://t.co/hUvWzrn0lx">https://t.co/hUvWzrn0lx</a> 
1/3 <a href="https://t.co/eDrZ395pZ8">pic.twitter.com/eDrZ395pZ8</a>
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNAMAnews/status/1655430606124138498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As per the report, 274 men, 58 women and two boys have been publicly flogged by the Taliban leaders in the last six months in at least 43 instances.

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The report appealed to the interim regime to halt such practices.

“In the event of a conflict between international human rights law and Islamic law, the government is obliged to follow the Islamic law,” said the Taliban foreign ministry in response to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA) detailed report released on Monday.

The majority of people were punished after they were convicted of adultery and “running away from home,” said the report, while some were also flogged for other crimes like theft, homosexuality, consuming alcohol, fraud and drug trafficking.

In its report, the UNAMA pointed to a statement given by a Taliban official who stated that “cutting off of hands is very necessary for security” for its “deterrent effect, but that the cabinet was still assessing whether punishments would be conducted in public”.

Under the incumbent Taliban regime, the first corporal punishment was recorded on October 20, 2021, when the de facto district court convicted a man and woman of adultery and both of them were publicly lashed 100 times each.

WATCH | UN threatens to pull out of Afghanistan after Taliban bans women from working for UN | WION

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UNAMA human rights chief Fiona Frazer, decrying the violations, said, “Corporal punishment is a violation of the Convention against Torture and must cease. The UN is strongly opposed to the death penalty and encourages the DFA to establish an immediate moratorium on executions”.

Frazer, in his comments, was referring to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.

Separately, the UN agency had documented at least 182 instances the sentences were given directly by the Taliban during the height of insurgency between 2010 and August 2021, which led to 213 deaths and 64 injuries.

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In the last six months, the Taliban have carried out hundreds of flogging incidents, stonings and public executions in Afghanistan, which has been slammed by the United Nations (UN) in its latest report.

In the last six months, the Taliban have carried out hundreds of flogging incidents, stonings and public executions in Afghanistan, which has been slammed by the United Nations (UN) in its latest report. Ever since the hardline Islamist regime took over Afghanistan in 2021, it has asked fighters, judges and leaders to implement the stringent Sharia law as per their interpretation, a pattern which they have followed from the early days of their previous rule in the 1990s. And in reaction to the report of the UN, which called the methods of the Taliban “archaic corporal punishment”, the militant group stated that it is obliged to follow Islamic law's strict interpretation. UN report on corporal punishment and death penalty released today: 274 men, 58 women and two boys publicly flogged in last six months in #Afghanistan. Read full report: https://t.co/hUvWzrn0lx 1/3 pic.twitter.com/eDrZ395pZ8 — UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) May 8, 2023 × As per the report, 274 men, 58 women and two boys have been publicly flogged by the Taliban leaders in the last six months in at least 43 instances. ALSO READ | India to give crash course to Taliban on culture, leadership and economics The report appealed to the interim regime to halt such practices. “In the event of a conflict between international human rights law and Islamic law, the government is obliged to follow the Islamic law,” said the Taliban foreign ministry in response to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA) detailed report released on Monday. The majority of people were punished after they were convicted of adultery and “running away from home,” said the report, while some were also flogged for other crimes like theft, homosexuality, consuming alcohol, fraud and drug trafficking. In its report, the UNAMA pointed to a statement given by a Taliban official who stated that “cutting off of hands is very necessary for security” for its “deterrent effect, but that the cabinet was still assessing whether punishments would be conducted in public”. Under the incumbent Taliban regime, the first corporal punishment was recorded on October 20, 2021, when the de facto district court convicted a man and woman of adultery and both of them were publicly lashed 100 times each. WATCH | UN threatens to pull out of Afghanistan after Taliban bans women from working for UN | WION UNAMA human rights chief Fiona Frazer, decrying the violations, said, “Corporal punishment is a violation of the Convention against Torture and must cease. The UN is strongly opposed to the death penalty and encourages the DFA to establish an immediate moratorium on executions”. Frazer, in his comments, was referring to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Separately, the UN agency had documented at least 182 instances the sentences were given directly by the Taliban during the height of insurgency between 2010 and August 2021, which led to 213 deaths and 64 injuries. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Taliban pledge to continue executions, public floggings as UN raises alarm

Nearly&nbsp;400&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;have been&nbsp;killed&nbsp;in attacks in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;since&nbsp;the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;takeover, more than 80% of them by a group affiliated to the Islamic State, a UN&nbsp;report shows,&nbsp;underscoring the scale of the insurgency faced by the new rulers.

It is the first major human rights report&nbsp;since&nbsp;the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;seized power from the former US-backed government in August, triggering concerns in the West about a broader rollback of rights for women, journalists, and others.

It covers the period from August 2021 to the end of February and said that 397&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;were&nbsp;killed&nbsp;mostly in a series of attacks by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) group.

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More than 50 people with suspected ties to the extreme militant group had been&nbsp;killed&nbsp;in the same period, it said, with some tortured and beheaded and cast by the roadside.

"The human rights situation for many Afghans is of profound concern," said Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a speech introducing the report to the top rights body in Geneva.

ISIS-K, which first appeared in eastern&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;in late 2014, is thought to have spread in the wake of the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;takeover&nbsp;and is blamed for several suicide attacks in recent months, including one at Kabul airport last August.

In the same speech, Bachelet said that&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;rulers had curtailed women's rights and freedoms. She called for women to be allowed to "fully participate" in public life.

Bachelet also referred to "a number of disturbing cases of enforced disappearances" of activists and protesters and expressed concern about restrictions on freedom of expression.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-afghanistan-islamic-state-khorasan-set-foot-in-pakistan-459852">After Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan set foot in Pakistan</a>

"I remain concerned by the progressive erosion of civic space," she said.

Under their previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the hardline Islamist&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;barred women and girls from education. They say they have&nbsp;since&nbsp;changed.

The Geneva-based Rights Council is set to appoint a special rapporteur on&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;to probe alleged violations by&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;and others at the end of its current month-long session.

US&nbsp;human rights ambassador Michele Taylor told the Council on Monday that this would be an "important mechanism for documenting abuses" and urged the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;to cooperate with its team.

Nearly 400 civilians have been killed in attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, more than 80% of them by a group affiliated to the Islamic State, a UN report shows, underscoring the scale of the insurgency faced by the new rulers.

Nearly 400 civilians have been killed in attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, more than 80% of them by a group affiliated to the Islamic State, a UN report shows, underscoring the scale of the insurgency faced by the new rulers. It is the first major human rights report since the Taliban seized power from the former US-backed government in August, triggering concerns in the West about a broader rollback of rights for women, journalists, and others. It covers the period from August 2021 to the end of February and said that 397 civilians were killed mostly in a series of attacks by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) group. Also read | Iran announces placement of new military satellite in orbit More than 50 people with suspected ties to the extreme militant group had been killed in the same period, it said, with some tortured and beheaded and cast by the roadside. "The human rights situation for many Afghans is of profound concern," said Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a speech introducing the report to the top rights body in Geneva. ISIS-K, which first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014, is thought to have spread in the wake of the Taliban takeover and is blamed for several suicide attacks in recent months, including one at Kabul airport last August. In the same speech, Bachelet said that Taliban rulers had curtailed women's rights and freedoms. She called for women to be allowed to "fully participate" in public life. Bachelet also referred to "a number of disturbing cases of enforced disappearances" of activists and protesters and expressed concern about restrictions on freedom of expression. Also read | After Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan set foot in Pakistan "I remain concerned by the progressive erosion of civic space," she said. Under their previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the hardline Islamist Taliban barred women and girls from education. They say they have since changed. The Geneva-based Rights Council is set to appoint a special rapporteur on Afghanistan to probe alleged violations by Taliban and others at the end of its current month-long session. US human rights ambassador Michele Taylor told the Council on Monday that this would be an "important mechanism for documenting abuses" and urged the Taliban to cooperate with its team.

Nearly 400 civilians killed in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: UN

The Taliban faced some form of resistance on Afghanistan's Independence day on August 19th, while flag-waving protesters took to the streets of Afghan cities against the Taliban.

Armed Taliban fighters marched in the city of Qalat

On the potential peace agreement with the Taliban, CIA Director Gina Haspel said "a very robust monitoring regime&nbsp;would be essential in Afghanistan and the US needed to retain the capability to act in "national interests".

It's very important that we maintain pressure on the terrorist groups that are there and so if there were an eventual peace agreement a very robust monitoring regime would be critical and we would still need to retain the capability to act in our national interests if we needed to, Haspel said in testimony to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

She was responding to a question from Senator Angus King, who asked whether the US could trust an agreement with the Taliban.&nbsp;

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was quoted Monday as saying the US and the Taliban have drafted the framework of a deal which could pave the way for peace talks with Kabul.&nbsp;

Mr Khalilzad, our envoy to Afghanistan, has said that part of the basis of the current talks with the Taliban is that they would prevent Afghanistan from ever becoming a platform for international terrorist groups and of course that was the basis of our original intervention, King said.

"Do we believe them? Are they capable of that? Did they learn something from having given safe haven to Osama bin Laden? Do we believe that there is a mindset change that that could be an enforceable or at least a reasonable expectation? King asked.

Haspel said the peace talk is a result of Khalilzad's very intensive efforts over many months now but particularly over the last eight days in Doha where he has been engaged in talks with the Taliban to achieve a framework.

Haspel and other leaders of the American intelligence community appeared before the committee to testify on World Wide Assessment of Threats in 2019.&nbsp;

Earlier, Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence said that his assessment is that neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban will be able to gain a strategic advantage in the Afghan war in the coming year, even if coalitions support remains at current levels.

However, current efforts to achieve an agreement with the Taliban and decisions on a possible withdrawal of US troops could play a key role in shaping the direction of the country in the coming years,&nbsp;he said.

Militant groups supported by Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in neighbouring countries and possibly beyond, and we remain concerned about Pakistan's continued development and control of nuclear weapons, Coats said.

On the potential peace agreement with the Taliban, CIA Director Gina Haspel said "a very robust monitoring regime would be essential in Afghanistan and the US needed to retain the capability to act in "national interests".

On the potential peace agreement with the Taliban, CIA Director Gina Haspel said "a very robust monitoring regime would be essential in Afghanistan and the US needed to retain the capability to act in "national interests". It's very important that we maintain pressure on the terrorist groups that are there and so if there were an eventual peace agreement a very robust monitoring regime would be critical and we would still need to retain the capability to act in our national interests if we needed to, Haspel said in testimony to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. She was responding to a question from Senator Angus King, who asked whether the US could trust an agreement with the Taliban. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was quoted Monday as saying the US and the Taliban have drafted the framework of a deal which could pave the way for peace talks with Kabul. Mr Khalilzad, our envoy to Afghanistan, has said that part of the basis of the current talks with the Taliban is that they would prevent Afghanistan from ever becoming a platform for international terrorist groups and of course that was the basis of our original intervention, King said. "Do we believe them? Are they capable of that? Did they learn something from having given safe haven to Osama bin Laden? Do we believe that there is a mindset change that that could be an enforceable or at least a reasonable expectation? King asked. Haspel said the peace talk is a result of Khalilzad's very intensive efforts over many months now but particularly over the last eight days in Doha where he has been engaged in talks with the Taliban to achieve a framework. Haspel and other leaders of the American intelligence community appeared before the committee to testify on World Wide Assessment of Threats in 2019. Earlier, Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence said that his assessment is that neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban will be able to gain a strategic advantage in the Afghan war in the coming year, even if coalitions support remains at current levels. However, current efforts to achieve an agreement with the Taliban and decisions on a possible withdrawal of US troops could play a key role in shaping the direction of the country in the coming years, he said. Militant groups supported by Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in neighbouring countries and possibly beyond, and we remain concerned about Pakistan's continued development and control of nuclear weapons, Coats said.

Afghan talks: Need to retain capability to act in US interests, says CIA chief 

Demonstrators protested outside the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on Thursday as senior Afghan officials said they had handed over evidence connecting insurgents based in Pakistan with a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/campaign-launched-in-kabul-over-recent-attacks-31452" target="_blank"> recent spate of attacks</a> that killed well over 100 people.

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The protest, in which dozens of people burnt flags and chanted, &quot;Death to Pakistan&quot;, was not large, but it came during a period of heightened tension in the Afghan capital following two major attacks in the past two weeks.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Wais Barmak and Masooom Stanekzai, head of the NDS intelligence service, returned from a visit to Islamabad, where they had pressed Pakistani authorities to move against Taliban leaders based in the country.

&quot;We provided Pakistan with documents about Taliban operating centers inside Pakistan and we expect Pakistan to act against them,&quot; Barmak told a news conference in Kabul.

However, he declined to provide details on the information provided, citing the need to keep operational intelligence secret while investigations continued.

A Pakistani security delegation is due to visit Kabul on Saturday to continue the discussion, which comes as the United States has cut off some aid to Pakistan over what it calls its failure to crack down on militants attacking in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of providing safe haven to Taliban and other insurgents, a charge Pakistan denies, pointing to the thousands of casualties it has suffered from militant violence over the years.

Last month, the Taliban claimed two major attacks in Kabul, one on the Intercontinental Hotel, which killed more than 30 people and a second that killed more than 100 people when an ambulance packed with explosives blew up on a crowded street.

The attacks in the heavily protected city center fuelled fresh worries about the Western-backed government`s ability to provide security and combat the Taliban insurgency.

On Thursday, the defence ministry issued a statement that dismissed as &quot;exaggerated&quot; a BBC report that the Taliban were operating in 70 percent of Afghanistan and said the army was involved in 14 separate operations.

But despite a sharp rise in US air strikes that commanders say have put heavy pressure on the Taliban and driven them back from major provincial centers, their ability to strike urban targets and undermine confidence in the government appears unaffected.

Demonstrators protested outside the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on Thursday as senior Afghan officials said they had handed over evidence connecting insurgents based in Pakistan with a recent spate of attacks that killed well over 100 people

Demonstrators protested outside the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on Thursday as senior Afghan officials said they had handed over evidence connecting insurgents based in Pakistan with a recent spate of attacks that killed well over 100 people. Also read: Pakistan extends Afghan refugees' repatriation deadline The protest, in which dozens of people burnt flags and chanted, "Death to Pakistan", was not large, but it came during a period of heightened tension in the Afghan capital following two major attacks in the past two weeks. On Thursday, Interior Minister Wais Barmak and Masooom Stanekzai, head of the NDS intelligence service, returned from a visit to Islamabad, where they had pressed Pakistani authorities to move against Taliban leaders based in the country. "We provided Pakistan with documents about Taliban operating centers inside Pakistan and we expect Pakistan to act against them," Barmak told a news conference in Kabul. However, he declined to provide details on the information provided, citing the need to keep operational intelligence secret while investigations continued. A Pakistani security delegation is due to visit Kabul on Saturday to continue the discussion, which comes as the United States has cut off some aid to Pakistan over what it calls its failure to crack down on militants attacking in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of providing safe haven to Taliban and other insurgents, a charge Pakistan denies, pointing to the thousands of casualties it has suffered from militant violence over the years. Last month, the Taliban claimed two major attacks in Kabul, one on the Intercontinental Hotel, which killed more than 30 people and a second that killed more than 100 people when an ambulance packed with explosives blew up on a crowded street. The attacks in the heavily protected city center fuelled fresh worries about the Western-backed government`s ability to provide security and combat the Taliban insurgency. On Thursday, the defence ministry issued a statement that dismissed as "exaggerated" a BBC report that the Taliban were operating in 70 percent of Afghanistan and said the army was involved in 14 separate operations. But despite a sharp rise in US air strikes that commanders say have put heavy pressure on the Taliban and driven them back from major provincial centers, their ability to strike urban targets and undermine confidence in the government appears unaffected.

Afghanistan says it has proof attackers trained in Pakistan

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