Execution of Four People in Public by the Taliban in the Provinces of Badghis, Nimroz, and Farah

According to statements from the Taliban Supreme Court, in Badghis province, two individuals named Sulaiman and Haidar, residents of Tagab Alam and Dar-e-Bum districts, were executed in public in the provincial center. In Nimroz province, a person named Abdul Qadeer, a resident of Zaranj city, was executed in the city’s sports stadium for the murder of a person named Farahuddin. Also, in Farah province, Mohammad Sadiq, accused of killing a person named Bismillah with a knife, was executed in the central stadium of that province.

These incidents have faced strong reactions from international organizations. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, condemned these executions and called them a clear violation of international law.

In a message on the social media platform X, he wrote that corporal punishments carried out publicly by the Taliban are a clear violation of international laws and must be stopped immediately.

The UN Human Rights Office also described these executions as “horrific” and stated that such punishments contradict human dignity and the right to life.

The organization pointed out that around 170 countries in the world have either abolished the death penalty or suspended its implementation.

It called on the Taliban to respect international human rights commitments and to halt the use of capital punishment in Afghanistan.

Additionally, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also issued a statement calling for the immediate cessation of capital punishment and emphasized the right to life and human dignity.

UNAMA noted that public executions have a negative impact on communities and called for their immediate suspension as a first step toward complete abolition of the death penalty.

The Taliban, however, in response to these criticisms, defended their actions and claimed that these executions were carried out for the purpose of “reforming society” and ensuring justice.

This comes as the Taliban, after returning to power in 2021, reactivated summary courts and over the past three years have repeatedly flogged, shot, or executed individuals in public for various charges. In some cases, high-ranking members of the group have personally been present at the punishment sites and have invited the public to witness these punishments.