In a stark condemnation of the resurgence of Taliban-ordered public executions and floggings, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a statement on February 28 urging an immediate cessation of such practices in Afghanistan, United Nations reported.
OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence expressed deep concern over the recent public executions witnessed in several Afghan cities, denouncing them as cruel, inhumane, and contrary to international human rights standards.
"We are appalled by the public executions of three people at sports stadiums in Afghanistan in the past week," Laurence stated, emphasizing that such actions violate the fundamental right to life enshrined in international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The executions, which took place in Ghazni and Sheberghan, were reportedly carried out in the presence of Taliban-appointed judicial officials and members of the public. The victims were subjected to multiple gunshot wounds, highlighting the brutality of these public spectacles.
Since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, five individuals have been publicly executed under the directives of the de facto judicial system, sanctioned by the Taliban leadership.
"Given these serious concerns, we urge the de facto authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on any further executions, and to act swiftly to prohibit the use of the death penalty in its entirety," Laurence urged.
In addition to executions, OHCHR raised alarm over the reemergence of public floggings as a form of judicial corporal punishment in Afghanistan. Highlighting two recent incidents, Laurence detailed the cases of a 12-year-old boy and a man flogged for immorality in Laghman province, and a woman and a man subjected to 35 lashes each in Balkh province for alleged adultery and fleeing home.
"Corporal punishment, including public floggings, constitutes a grave violation of human rights and must cease immediately," Laurence emphasized.
OHCHR called on the Taliban authorities to uphold due process and fair trial rights for individuals facing criminal charges, including ensuring access to legal representation.
Afghanistan under Taliban Rule
Taliban forces have engaged in retaliatory killings and enforced disappearances targeting former government officials and security personnel, as well as individuals suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP). As per a report released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in August 2022, numerous incidents of killings or disappearances at the hands of Taliban forces have been documented since August 2021. The report highlights the difficulty in distinguishing between victims who were former government personnel and those accused of being associated with ISKP.
Throughout the past year, Taliban forces have conducted military operations and nighttime raids aimed at residents suspected of harboring or aiding ISKP members. During these operations, civilians have been subjected to assault, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial killings. Some detainees have been forcibly disappeared, while others have been executed, often by beheading. In certain provinces, the bodies of victims have been left in public areas or displayed on streets and intersections as warnings.
In late 2021 and continuing into 2022, residents in Nangarhar province uncovered a mass grave in a canal containing at least 45 bodies in varying states of decay. Many of the bodies showed signs of torture or brutal execution, including missing limbs, evidence of strangulation, or decapitation.
In Panjshir province, the Taliban conducted search operations targeting communities suspected of supporting the National Resistance Front (NRF), an armed opposition group. Residents were detained, tortured, and subjected to collective punishment by Taliban authorities, who flouted established protections for detainees.
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