The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, condemned a public execution carried out by the Taliban in the eastern province of Khost, saying the act violated international human rights standards and was “incompatible with Islamic law.”
“Today’s public execution of a man in a sports stadium in Khost was reportedly carried out by a 13-year-old boy and seen by thousands, including young children,” Bennett wrote on X. “Such executions are a gross violation of human rights and dignity, and incompatible with Islamic law.”
The execution took place on Tuesday at Khost’s central stadium and was performed by the boy, whose relatives were among the 13 people the condemned man was accused of killing.
The Taliban supreme court identified the executed man as Mangal, originally from Sanjak village in Paktia’s Syed Karam district but living in Khost at the time of the killings. The court said his case was reviewed by primary, appeals and high courts before the order was approved by the Taliban’s leader.
Taliban officials claimed that roughly 80,000 people attended the execution, one of the largest crowds reported for such an event since the group returned to power in 2021.
Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the Taliban’s justice system for a lack of transparency, absence of legal representation and the use of punishments they say contravene international law. According to Taliban court statements, Tuesday’s execution was the eleventh carried out by retribution (qisas) in more than four years.
