Afghan supreme leader orders full implementation of sharia law - The Guardian

Afghanistan’s ultimate person has ordered judges to afloat enforce aspects of Islamic instrumentality that see nationalist executions, stonings, floggings and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban’s main spokesperson said.

Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted connected Sunday that the “obligatory” bid by Haibatullah Akhundzada came aft the secretive leader met with a radical of judges.

Akhundzada, who has not been filmed oregon photographed successful nationalist since the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful August past year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland.

The Taliban promised a softer mentation of the harsh regularisation that characterised their archetypal stint successful power, from 1996-2001, but person gradually clamped down connected rights and freedoms.

“Carefully analyse the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists,” Mujahid quoted Akhundzada arsenic saying. Those files successful which each the sharia [Islamic law] conditions of hudud and qisas person been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory.”

Mujahid was not disposable connected Monday to grow connected his tweet.

Hudud refers to offences for which, nether Islamic law, definite types of punishment are mandated, portion qisas translates arsenic “retaliation successful kind” – efficaciously an oculus for an eye.

Hudud crimes see adultery – and falsely accusing idiosyncratic of it – drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and road robbery, apostasy and rebellion.

Qisas covers execution and deliberate injury, among different things, but besides allows for the families of victims to judge compensation successful lieu of punishment.

Islamic scholars accidental crimes starring to hudud punishment necessitate a precise precocious grade of proof, including – successful the lawsuit of adultery – confession, oregon being witnessed by 4 big antheral Muslims.

Since past year’s takeover, videos and pictures of Taliban fighters meting retired summary floggings to radical accused of assorted offences person appeared often connected societal media.

On respective occasions the Taliban person besides displayed successful nationalist the bodies of kidnappers who they said were killed successful shootouts.

There person besides been reports of adulterers being flogged successful agrarian areas aft Friday prayers, but autarkic verification has been hard to obtain.

Rahima Popalzai, a ineligible and governmental analyst, said the edict could beryllium an effort by the Taliban to harden a estimation they whitethorn consciousness has softened since their instrumentality to power.

“If they truly commencement to instrumentality hudud and qisas, they volition beryllium aiming to make the fearfulness that nine has gradually lost,” she said, adding that the Taliban besides wanted to burnish their Islamic credentials. “As a theocratic setup, the Taliban privation to fortify their spiritual individuality among Muslim countries.”

The hard-won rights of women successful peculiar have evaporated successful the past 15 months, and they are progressively being squeezed retired of nationalist life.

Most pistillate authorities workers person mislaid their jobs, oregon are being paid a pittance to enactment astatine home, portion women are besides barred from travelling without a antheral comparative and indispensable screen up with a burqa oregon hijab erstwhile extracurricular the home.

In the past week, the Taliban besides banned women from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and nationalist baths.

During their archetypal play of rule, the Taliban regularly carried retired punishments successful public, including floggings and executions astatine Ghazi stadium successful Kabul.