Date: 25/08/1446

Enforcement of Discretionary Criminal Punishment on Three Offenders in Herat Province
Based on the decision of the Primary Urban Court of Herat Province, a discretionary criminal punishment was enforced on three individuals, including one woman, on 25/08/1446 Hijri, on charges of engaging in illicit relations.
The Primary Court sentenced each of the aforementioned offenders to two years of enforceable imprisonment and thirty‑nine (39) lashes as discretionary punishment. This verdict was implemented in the premises of the Herat Provincial Court of Appeal following its approval by the Supreme Court authority.

The enforcement of imprisonment and corporal punishment against three individuals, including one woman, in Herat Province reflects the continued use of discretionary punishment by Taliban authorities to regulate private relationships and enforce moral conformity. The imposition of two-year prison sentences and 39 lashes for “engaging in illicit relations,” carried out within judicial premises following Supreme Court approval, demonstrates the institutionalization of corporal punishment within formal legal processes. Applied through judicial mechanisms lacking independence and meaningful safeguards, the punishment functions as an arbitrary and coercive practice that intrudes into private life, undermines personal autonomy and liberty, and disproportionately impacts women.