As fears increase that the Taliban may reimpose harsh Sharia law, photos have emerged of the militants parading men through the streets, tarred in black and wearing nooses around their necks.

In 1994, the puritanical Islamic group led by veteran mujahideen commander Mohammad Omar took control of the country for the first time.

A man is paraded through the streets of Herat by the Taliban. Photo / Supplied

The Taliban were infamous for their harsh punishments, which included stoning suspected adulterers and public executions.

Women were not allowed to work, and girls were not allowed to attend school. Women were obliged to wear head-to-toe burkas and men were barred from trimming their beards.

When the United States invaded in 2001, much of that altered, with women and ethnic minorities being afforded greater freedoms.

The Taliban are now on the verge of retaking power in Kabul, after seizing possession of the presidential palace.

There are fears that the Taliban would revert some of Afghanistan's newly gained freedoms.

A photo on social media showed the proprietor of a beauty parlor painting over posters featuring women, which could be a portent of things to come.

Images of women are whitewashed from walls in Afghanistan. Photo / via Twitter

Sarah Idan, an Iraqi-American activist, called it a "new dark era for women"

Bilal Sarway, an Afghan journalist, released a video of guys dressed in black and wearing nooses around their necks. Armed gunmen pulled them through the streets.

"horrific" and "medieval" were used to describe the photos.

The black make-up is seen as a deterrent to criminals. Recidivists run the chance of losing a limb.

Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul. Photo / AP

The situation for LGBT people in the country might be grave. Last month, a Taliban judge ruled that homosexuality would be punishable by death under the Taliban's authority.

"For gays, there are only two punishments: stoning or being forced to stand behind a wall that collapses on him. The height of the wall should be between 2.5 and 3 meters "Bild, a German publication, quoted the judge as saying.

Men are paraded through the streets of Herat by the Taliban. Photo / Supplied

The Taliban is likely to announce the resurrection of Afghanistan's Islamic Emirate soon.

It has vowed a peaceful transition of power and that its fighters will not invade people's homes or disrupt their businesses.

People who collaborated with the Afghan government or foreign forces have reportedly been granted "amnesty" by the Taliban.

However, there have been accusations of violent tactics, including revenge killings, in regions controlled by the Taliban in recent days.