Date: 22/08/1445 "Today, Sunday (dated 22/8/1445 AH), based on the directive of the Head of the Appeal Court of Sar-e Pol province, a criminal whose case had been finalized in the Primary Court of the provincial city and whose prison sentence had been completed, was subjected to a discretionary punishment in a public gathering. In this gathering, which was held for this purpose, the Head and officials of the Appeal Court, a large number of visitors, and the relatives of the convicted person were present. In this gathering, the summary of the convict's case was read out. Then, the sentence of discretionary punishment was applied to an individual who had been convicted of immoral conduct, and the court had sentenced him to (6) months of imprisonment and (39) lashes."

On 21 Sha'ban 1445 AH, Taliban authorities in Sar-e Pol publicly administered 39 lashes to an individual convicted of “immoral conduct,” following the completion of a six-month prison sentence. The punishment was carried out in a public gathering attended by judicial officials and community members.

The public nature of this discretionary punishment highlights ongoing concerns about corporal punishment, lack of privacy protections, and the use of public shaming, all of which contravene international human rights standards.