The Taliban Supreme Court on Tuesday in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktika whipped a convict for drug use and committing an unspecified moral crime.

In a statement, the Supreme Court said the convict was punished with 21 lashes in the Urgun district of the province.

The statement did not clarify whether the whipping was carried out in public.

The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has seen the reintroduction of corporal punishment, including executions and whipping, for crimes such as murder, robbery and adultery.

The Taliban supreme leader banned all drugs in Afghanistan in 2022, and the group launched a broad campaign to introduce addicts to treatment centres.

According to the United Nations, the drug has led to a big drop in poppy cultivation.

The opium poppy (Papaver Somniferum L.), which belongs to the family Papaveraceae, is an annual medicinal herb.

It contains many alkaloids that are frequently used as analgesics, antitussives, and antispasmodics in modern medicine. It is also grown as a source of edible seed and seed oil.

Since then, authorities have widely destroyed poppy fields in the country.

The United Nations has criticised the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, saying it violates the UN convention against torture, and has called for an end to the practice.

The Taliban authorities had rejected the criticism, saying this form of punishment is in line with the country’s law and necessary to ensure security and safety for the public.

(dpa/NAN)