Women caught for prostitution will be stoned to death; Taliban chief with warning

KABUL: Concerns that the Taliban will regress Afghanistan to the Dark Ages may soon materialize. Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada declared in a voice message on the official channel that women found guilty of prostitution will face public stoning to death.

In the audio message, Akhundzada stated that the women's rights advocated by the international community contradict the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. "You argue that stoning violates women's rights. However, we will soon implement the punishment for prostitution. We will publicly whip and stone women to death."

Within a month of reclaiming power, girls were barred from attending secondary school and in December 2022, they were denied university admission. Subsequently, their participation in the workforce was curtailed and marriages occurred without the girls' consent in Afghanistan.