Since the Taliban's Return to Power, 6 People Have Been Executed in Public

A man convicted of murder was executed by a family member of the victim in a stadium in Gardez city, located in Paktia province, eastern Afghanistan. According to Radio Free Europe, this execution on Wednesday, November 23, marks the sixth public execution since the Taliban regained power. The implementation of retribution according to Sharia law, which includes the execution of criminals by the victim's family, was a common form of punishment during the Taliban's first rule in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban's Supreme Court stated on social media platform X that 'the retribution sentence against a convicted murderer was carried out' and identified the executed individual as 'Mohammad Ayaz Asad.' Local media reported that Mohammad Ayaz Asad was shot three times in the chest. The Taliban's Supreme Court statement added that the executed individual was from the Mirzak area of Paktia province and had killed a man named Habibullah with an AK-47. The statement specified that his case was 'carefully reviewed' in three military courts and approved by Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. Several senior Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Minister of Interior, attended the execution. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, is one of the most violent Islamist militant groups in Afghanistan and is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The United Nations condemned the public flogging of individuals in 'Sar-e Pol' province. Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, they have resumed implementing retribution punishments, including public executions. In February, three people were also executed publicly. Two others, named Syed Jamaluddin and Gul Khan, were executed in a football stadium in Ghazni city, located in southern Afghanistan. Another individual named Nazar Mohammad was executed in a football stadium in Jowzjan province, located in northern Afghanistan. Local media reported at that time that the executor of the death penalty was someone whose brother had been killed by the criminal two years prior. Public executions based on retribution have been condemned both within Afghanistan and by the international community. Human rights experts express doubts about the legitimacy of the decision-making bodies and the validity of such sentences, believing that the primary aim of public executions is to instill fear in Afghan society. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated in a release, 'These executions violate Afghanistan's international human rights commitments and must be stopped.' The agency further added in another statement published on social media platform X, 'We urge the ruling authorities to halt these sentences in line with the complete abolition of the death penalty. Additionally, we call for adherence to all fair trial requirements and specifically respect for the accused's right to legal counsel.'