A young man was shot and killed “by Taliban forces” in the western city of Herat on Saturday after he reportedly failed to stop at a checkpoint, according to local sources.
The incident occurred in Police District 4 of Herat, the provincial capital.
The victim, identified by sources as Mujtaba, was shot after he did not follow instructions at the Taliban-run checkpoint, the sources said.
Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
Since August 2021, human rights organizations have documented widespread abuses, including collective punishment and targeted killings of former government officials and those associated with resistance groups.
In a previous report, Amnesty International detailed the Taliban’s enforcement of collective punishments in Panjshir province. The report confirmed that between September 12 and 14, 2022, the Taliban executed at least 14 prisoners affiliated with the National Resistance Front (NRF) in Khenj and Darah districts. These actions are part of a broader pattern of extrajudicial killings across the region. Amnesty International estimates that at least 48 people were executed during that period, though the actual number may be higher.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also documented extrajudicial killings under Taliban rule. Between August 2021 and June 2023, UNAMA recorded at least 218 killings of former government officials and members of the security forces.
