Concerns Mount As Afghanistan Carries Out Public Executions Across Provinces.
Afghanistan’s Supreme Court has confirmed the public execution of four men on Friday, marking the highest number of executions in a single day since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The executions took place in sports stadiums across three provinces — Badghis, Nimroz, and Farah — bringing the total number of public executions since 2021 to ten, according to an AFP tally.
Witnesses in Qala-i-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, reported that two men were executed in front of gathered spectators. The men were made to sit with their backs to the crowd, and were shot multiple times by relatives of their victims. According to a statement from the Supreme Court, the men were convicted of murder and “sentenced to retaliatory punishment” after their cases were “examined very precisely and repeatedly.”
The statement added that the families of the victims were offered the opportunity to forgive the convicts, but chose to enforce the death penalty in line with Islamic law.
“If the family of the victim had forgiven the men it would be better, otherwise it’s God’s order, and should be implemented,” said a spectator named Zabihullah.
The third and fourth executions were carried out in Zaranj, Nimroz province, and Farah city, respectively. In all cases, the executions were conducted in public, with residents invited to attend through official notices.
Public executions were a grim hallmark of the Taliban’s first regime between 1996 and 2001 and have now resumed under their current administration, which refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate.
While some members of the public expressed support for the Taliban’s strict enforcement of justice, international human rights organisations have condemned the practice. Amnesty International has labelled the public executions “a gross affront to human dignity,” and called on the Taliban to end the use of capital punishment, particularly in public settings.
The continuation of such practices has raised serious concerns about human rights and the rule of law in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, with the international community closely monitoring developments.
