Amnesty International condemns Afghan punishment for 'adultery'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Amnesty International condemns Afghan punishment for 'adultery', 2 September 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/561d03f39.html [accessed 23 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 02, 2015
By RFE/RL
Amnesty International is condemning as "abhorrent" the public flogging of a man and a woman in Afghanistan for "adultery."
In a statement issued on September 2, the human rights organization called on Afghan authorities to hold to account those responsible.
The couple was illegally sentenced to 100 lashes by a primary court in western Ghor Province.
One of the court's judges in Cheghcheran town later carried out the punishment in public in the presence of police and other officials on 30 August 2015.
However, it only came to public attention after being broadcast on Afghan TV.
"Corporal punishments constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and in this case, with the degree of violence and humiliation shown, may amount to torture," said Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty International's Afghanistan researcher.
"This is far from an isolated example of cruel and unlawful punishments being handed down and carried out in Afghanistan, which is particularly common in the informal justice system that still exists in many parts of the country," Mosadiq explained.
The Taliban and other armed insurgent groups are also often responsible for meting out corporal punishments in public, as well as carrying out public executions.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
