A prisoner named Mangal was publicly executed today before a crowd at a stadium in Khost province, eastern Afghanistan, after being convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

According to the Taliban supreme court, Mangal was among the gunmen who opened fire on a house in January, killing ten people, including three women. The court affirmed that the case had undergone multiple reviews and that the verdict was accurate. "The victims' families were offered reconciliation and forgiveness for the prisoner, but they refused," the Taliban supreme court added.

Taliban security forces during a parade in Kandahar province in 2024. Photo: AFP

Prior to the execution, Taliban officials called on the public to attend, instructing them not to bring smartphones, cameras, or weapons.

This execution marks the 12th public one since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, condemned such actions as contrary to international law. "They must stop immediately," he stated.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has previously urged the Taliban to abolish the death penalty. The Taliban rejected UNAMA's appeal, deeming it a "blatant insult" to Islamic regulations and asserting that the death penalty is a "non-negotiable" component of Sharia law.

By Huyen Le (AFP, Afintl)