Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Monday, November 14, 2022

Afghan supreme leader orders full enforcement of Islamic law

By AFP 14 November 2022, 4:23 pm 0 Edit

An Afghan woman walks through the old market as a Taliban fighter stands guard, in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, May 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban’s chief spokesman says.

Zabihullah Mujahid tweets late Sunday that the “obligatory” command by Hibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met with a group of judges.

Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland.

The Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterized their first stint in power, in 1996-2001, but have gradually clamped down on rights and freedoms.