Reports of brutal punishments inflicted by Islamic State (IS) militants continue to emerge, including women having their hands cut off and men publically flogged for using mobile phones.
A source in the Iraqi city of Mosul told IraqiNews that insurgents "cut three women's hands off for unknown charges" on January 12.
"They also whipped five people for using cell phones to contact their relatives while standing on the celebration stage in the Cultural Compound in central Mosul," the source said.
"ISIS [IS] told the people of Mosul that it would whip anyone 30 times if they were caught using cell phones."
The jihadist group seized control of Mosul in June last year, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. Militants announced on loudspeakers that they had "come to liberate" the city, and Christians – who have lived in Mosul for 2,000 years – were told to either flee, convert to Islam, or pay a tax. Those who refused risked death "by the sword".
IS has inflicted a number of brutal punishments on those deemed to have broken Sharia law.
The group released a list of these punishments in December. According to its penal code, anyone who blasphemes against Allah must be killed, while drinking alcohol should result in 80 lashes. Murder and stealing are punishable by death by crucifixion, and those involved in homosexual acts can also be condemned to death.
IS supporters are encouraged to watch and even take part in these punishments which are brutally enforced.
Last month, images were published purporting to show a man accused of having a "homosexual affair" thrown from a tall building and then stoned to death when he survived the fall.
Two other men accused of homosexual acts were also thrown off a building in Nineveh and at least 17 young men are believed to have been crucified by the group for unknown crimes in January.
