Afghanistan: Supreme Court carries out 340 discretionary punishments in four months

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 10 : The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has implemented 340 discretionary punishments against individuals accused of various crimes across 27 provinces, including Kabul, over the past four months, the court spokesperson said.

Abdul Rahim Rashid, spokesperson for the Supreme Court, stated, "Based on different crimes, discretionary punishments have been applied to 340 convicts."

Addressing concerns raised by international organisations and countries, Rashid reaffirmed the court's firm stance on enforcing discretionary punishments and Islamic hudud laws. He said all rulings are issued in accordance with Islamic Sharia and that criticism from foreign bodies is not considered.

"The position of the Supreme Court is very clear and explicit. In the light of Islamic injunctions, the Supreme Court punishes criminals, and all decisions are issued based on Sharia. In this matter, criticism from any foreign body or country is neither considered nor important to us," Rashid said.

Mir Abdul Wahid Sadat, president of the Afghanistan National Lawyers Association, raised concerns about the implementation process, questioning whether the rehabilitation of offenders and their basic rights, such as access to defence lawyers, have been respected. He asked, "Under which enforced law are these punishments being implemented?"

Religious scholar Haseebullah Hanafi supported the court's approach, emphasising the importance of hudud and discretionary punishments for fully implementing Sharia. He said, "If we want Sharia to be fully implemented in the country, then we must give special importance to hudud and discretionary punishments. If we want corruption, sedition, murder, and looting to be eradicated from the country, then implementing the principles and limits set by Sharia is essential and necessary."

Previously, the Supreme Court had also noted that it would not yield to international pressure regarding Sharia rulings and urged the global community to avoid negative propaganda about the enforcement of Sharia punishments in Afghanistan.

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