The Taliban conducted a double public execution on February 22 at a stadium in the southeast of Afghanistan, ABC reported. Shocking images emerged as thousands of spectators witnessed the execution, where relatives of the victims of stabbing deaths took up arms to fire at the two convicted men.
As per a statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court, the two men, identified as Syed Jamal from central Wardak province and Gul Khan from Ghazni, were held responsible for the stabbing deaths of two individuals in separate incidents. However, the exact perpetrators of the stabbings remained unclear.
The decision to carry out the executions came following rulings from three lower courts and the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who deemed the punishment as retribution for the purported crimes.
As crowds gathered outside the stadium in the Ali Lala area of Ghazni city, religious scholars made appeals for forgiveness on behalf of the convicts, but their pleas were rejected by the relatives of the victims. Abu Abu Khalid Sarhadi, a spokesman for Ghazni police, confirmed that it was the relatives who executed the two men, although the type of firearms used was not specified.
The executions commenced just before 1 p.m., with a total of 15 bullets fired, eight at one convict and seven at the other. Abdul Rahim Rashid, spokesman for the Supreme Court, disclosed that the men were shot from behind before their bodies were taken away by ambulances. This incident marks the third and fourth public executions since the Taliban seized power in 2021 amidst the tumultuous withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan.
The United Nations has vehemently condemned the Taliban’s practice of public executions, lashings, and stonings since their takeover, urging the country’s rulers to cease such actions. The U.N. reiterated its strong opposition to the death penalty, citing it as inconsistent with the fundamental right to life, and called for an immediate moratorium on executions as a step toward abolition.
During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban were known for their brutal enforcement of public executions, floggings, and stonings, sparking global outrage and condemnation. The latest public execution has reignited concerns about human rights abuses under Taliban rule and underscored the urgent need for international pressure to address such violations.
Under Taliban rule, extrajudicial killings targeting individuals associated with the former government, armed groups like the National Resistance Front (NRF), and those perceived to be in defiance of Taliban regulations appeared to be prevalent and organized. This included Afghan citizens with ties to the previous administration or security forces. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented at least 237 extrajudicial executions between the Taliban's assumption of power on August 15, 2021, and June 15, 2022. Additionally, in December, the UN reported at least 69 further extrajudicial killings, primarily targeting NRF members, with 48 occurring between September 12 and 14 in Panjshir province.
In one notable incident on June 26 in Ghor province, Taliban forces raided the residence of an individual linked to the former government, resulting in the deaths of six Shia Hazaras, including four men, a woman, and a girl. Three of the slain men were associated with anti-Taliban groups from the People’s Uprising. Despite the victims being civilians, the Taliban asserted they were insurgents. Furthermore, in September, graphic evidence emerged on social media depicting Taliban-perpetrated extrajudicial killings of NRF affiliates in Panjshir province, constituting clear war crimes. While the Taliban Ministry of Defence pledged an investigation, no findings were publicly disclosed. Reports from the media also indicated instances of civilian deaths due to torture in Panjshir province, with civilians reportedly displaced from the area and their residences repurposed as law enforcement and military facilities.
Impunity for such atrocities remained unchallenged under Taliban governance, with no comprehensive or transparent investigations conducted into extrajudicial executions or other severe human rights violations. Taliban officials consistently denied the occurrence of such abuses and dismissed reports from NGOs like Amnesty International.
In addition to extrajudicial killings, the Taliban resorted to public executions and corporal punishment as means of enforcing their interpretation of Islamic law. Between November 18 and December 16, over 100 individuals were publicly flogged in stadiums across various provinces for offenses such as murder, theft, engaging in "illicit" relationships, or breaching societal norms. Notably, in December, the Taliban authorities carried out their inaugural public execution in Farah province, with high-ranking Taliban officials, including the deputy prime minister, ministers, and the chief justice, in attendance.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)