The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that UN experts “expressed alarm at a recent announcement by the de facto Supreme Court in Afghanistan sanctioning the use of punishments."

“Stoning people to death or burying them under a wall constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment,” the experts said. “These cruel punishments are contrary to international law.” 

“The Islamic government is obliged to pave the way for a situation in which orders of (Allah) including Hudod be ensured and Qisas (retribution in kind) be implemented,” said Hassibullah Hanafi, a religious cleric.  

The statement said that experts noted with concern that “women are more likely to be sentenced to death by stoning, due to deeply entrenched discrimination and stereotypes against them, including deep-rooted stereotypes held by the exclusively male judiciary – a manifestation of the gender-based persecution that women and girls endure in Afghanistan.” 

"It would be better that our punishment be based on international laws,” said Sakina Rizai, a human rights activist.  

This comes as the Islamic Emirate called on the international community to accept the “current realities” in Afghanistan..  

“If some foreign sides are still concerned about the current situation in which the courts are active, nationwide justice is created, they might then have other intentions. It is important that they should know the realities,” said deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Bilal Karimi.  

“The constitution should be based on religious principles and also international measures, conventions and charters of the UN should be considered in it,” said Wais Nasiri, a political analyst.  

Since November 2022, 274 men, 58 women and two boys have been publicly flogged and one judicially sanctioned execution has been carried out, according to UNAMA.