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Taliban members in Kabul
Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP
A court in Afghanistan has had seven accused men flogged.
They were accused, among other things, of selling and consuming alcohol and stealing a car.
The seven accused confessed to their crimes and were each sentenced to 35 lashes, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
Five of the accused were additionally sentenced to six months in prison.
According to court spokesman Abdul Basir Maschal, it was the first court ruling of this kind since the radical Islamist Taliban took power last August.
However, floggings have since taken place without a court warrant, according to reports online, which cannot be independently verified.
The punishment is reminiscent of the tough actions taken by the Taliban during their first rule from 1996 to 2001. At that time, the Islamists practiced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, Sharia.
Even minor offenses were punished with public flogging and executions: thieves had their hands cut off, women accused of adultery were stoned to death.
After taking power, the Taliban promised a more moderate approach.
In the past eight months, however, they have curtailed numerous freedoms, especially for women.
The announcement that girls would be allowed to go to school again was short-lived.
In future, women will only be allowed to work in Afghan ministries if they are veiled.
An order also stipulates that the employment of minors and men without beards in government agencies is "seriously prohibited".
According to an announcement by the Islamists, amusement parks in the capital Kabul and the surrounding area may in future only be visited separately by women and men.
as /AFP