Date: 29/08/1403

Implementation of Discretionary Criminal Punishment in Khost Province
In accordance with the ruling of the Primary Court of Bak District, Khost Province, on Tuesday, 17/5/1446 Hijri (Islamic calendar), a discretionary criminal punishment was carried out against a woman convicted of moral corruption. The sentence was executed at the premises of the aforementioned court.
The Primary Court had sentenced the convicted individual to five months of imprisonment and 39 lashes as discretionary punishment. This ruling was implemented following its approval by the Supreme Court.
The execution of the sentence took place in the presence of Honorable Mufti Aminullah (Munib), Chief Judge of the Khost Provincial Appellate Court, along with his accompanying delegation, judicial personnel, civil and military staff, and a number of local residents of the district.
The session concluded with a prayer for well-being following the implementation of the punishment.

The execution of discretionary imprisonment and corporal punishment against a woman in Khost Province constitutes cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment and reflects the continued use of corporal punishment by Taliban authorities as a tool of moral enforcement. The imposition of 39 lashes and imprisonment at court premises, following Supreme Court approval and in the presence of judicial, civil, and military officials, demonstrates the institutionalization of physical violence within judicial processes. The conviction of a woman for “moral corruption” relies on vague and gendered moral charges that criminalize alleged private conduct and disproportionately target women.