Taliban leader declares return to public stoning of women to death for adultery, Ignites global outcry

Taliban take to the streets during a national holiday celebrating the first anniversary of the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan. A year after the Taliban retook Kabul, cementing their rule of Afghanistan after a two-decade insurgency, the country is beset by economic and humanitarian crises. Western governments have frozen billions of dollars in Afghan assets as it presses the Taliban to honour unmet promises on security, governance and human rights, including allowing all girls to be educated.

Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images

In a dramatic and alarming turn of events, the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has issued a direct and chilling message, signaling the re-imposition of barbaric practices, including the public stoning of women for alleged adultery. This announcement has reignited global concerns about human rights violations and the Taliban's oppressive regime in Afghanistan.

Akhundzada's voice message, aired on Taliban-controlled state media and translated by The Telegraph, explicitly stated the group's intention to revive harsh punishments such as public floggings and stonings for perceived moral transgressions, as dictated by their interpretation of Islamic law.

This declaration represents a stark regression to the Taliban's previous rule in the 1990s, characterized by severe restrictions on women's rights and brutal enforcement of religious codes. The Taliban's track record of human rights abuses, particularly against women, is well-documented. Reports of public executions, forced marriages, and systematic discrimination against women have raised widespread condemnation from the international community.

The recent statement by Akhundzada reaffirms fears that the Taliban's return to power is resulting in a rollback of progress made in advancing human rights, especially for Afghan women and girls..The resurgence of capital punishments and public executions under the Taliban's rule has triggered alarm bells globally.

A UN report in May 2023 revealed alarming statistics, with 175 individuals sentenced to various punishments, including stoning, and over 100 people facing charges for ‘crimes against God.’ This includes draconian measures such as lashings and demolishing walls on individuals, reflecting the brutal enforcement of Taliban ideology.

Despite widespread condemnation and calls for respecting human rights, the Taliban remains defiant, justifying their actions as religious obligations. Akhundzada's defiance of international norms and values underscores the urgent need for concerted global action to protect vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.

The plight of Afghan women under Taliban rule is particularly dire, with many facing imminent threats to their safety, freedom, and dignity. The international community has so far failed to prioritize safeguarding human rights, especially women's rights, and hold the Taliban accountable for the violations.