Date: 05/12/1403

Enforcement of Discretionary Criminal Punishment on Two Defendants in Parwan Province
Based on the decision of the Primary Court of Bagram District, Parwan Province, a discretionary criminal punishment was enforced on two individuals, including one woman, who were accused of committing adultery. The punishment was carried out on 24/08/1446 Hijri.
The Primary Court had sentenced each of the accused to six years of enforceable imprisonment and thirty‑nine (39) lashes as discretionary punishment. This verdict was implemented following its approval by the Supreme Court authority.
The enforcement of the discretionary punishment took place in the presence of Respected Al‑Haj Maulvi Mir Agha (Zabihullah Khalid), Head of the Parwan Provincial Court of Appeal, as well as the District Governor, the Police Commander, a number of district officials, and members of the local community.

The public enforcement of imprisonment and corporal punishment against two individuals, including one woman, in Parwan Province reflects the continued use of discretionary punishment by Taliban authorities as a means of moral enforcement and social control. The imposition of lengthy prison sentences alongside 39 lashes, carried out following Supreme Court approval and in the presence of senior judicial, civil, and security officials, underscores the institutionalized and performative nature of punishment. The accusation of “adultery” relies on gendered moral offenses that intrude into private life and disproportionately expose women to severe penalties. Implemented through judicial processes lacking independence, transparency, and meaningful safeguards, the punishment functions as an arbitrary and coercive practice that undermines personal autonomy, liberty, dignity, and gender equality, while normalizing physical violence as an accepted instrument of governance