Taliban official says 9 men lashed in public in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A provincial official in Afghanistan says nine men were lashed in public as punishment for different crimes. Tuesday’s lashings were the latest example of harsh policies imposed by the Taliban since they seized power in the country in August 2021, reflecting their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. A Taliban-appointed spokesman for the governor’s office in southern Kandahar province said in a tweet that the lashings took place at the sports stadium in the city of Kandahar. He says each man was lashed 35 to 39 times in front of Taliban officials, religious clerics, elders, and local people. He did not elaborate on the crimes the nine were accused of or provide other details.