In southern Afghanistan, nine people have been publicly flogged for various crimes.

The public flogging was the latest example of the Taliban's harsh policy since it seized power in the country in August 2021, the AP reports.

Haji Zaid, a spokesman for the governor's office in southern Kandahar province, said on Twitter that the flogging took place at a sports stadium in Kandahar city. He said each man received between 35 and 39 lashes.

Last month, the Taliban executed an Afghan man convicted of murder, the first public execution since the Taliban returned to power. The execution was carried out by the victim's father with a machine gun in western Farah province, watched by hundreds of spectators and many senior Taliban officials.

No country has officially recognized the new Afghan government led by the Taliban, who previously ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s.