Taliban announce planned public execution of Afghan murder convict

Taliban authorities in eastern Afghanistan plan to publicly execute a convicted murderer on Wednesday, citing the Islamic concept of retributive justice, or Qisas.

The early morning punishment will be carried out at a sports stadium in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, according to an official announcement in the local language on Tuesday via the social media platform X. It invited the public, religious scholars, and civilian and military officials to attend the event and instructed them not to bring cameras or cellphones.

If the death penalty is imposed as planned, it would be the sixth public execution of a murder convict in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 and introduced a criminal justice system based on their interpretation of Islamic law, Sharia. The announcement did not specify how the execution would be implemented.

Previously, such executions were carried out by gunfire.

Despite the United Nations condemning the practice as “incompatible with the fundamental right to life” and “a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” Afghan de facto leaders continue to carry out these executions.

In addition, the Taliban have flogged hundreds of men and women in crowded sports stadiums across Afghanistan for committing “immoral crimes” such as adultery, homosexuality, theft and robbery. In October alone, nearly 100 Afghans, including women, were whipped in front of them. According to Taliban Supreme Court data, prison sentences ranging from six months to two years were imposed for such crimes.

UN experts and human rights organizations have called corporal punishment a violation of human rights and international law and called on the Taliban to stop it immediately.

According to the UN, women's rights in Afghanistan have declined sharply under Taliban rule. They cite a series of decrees and directives from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada that aim to “systematically” exclude women from public life in almost all areas.

The decrees prohibit Afghan girls and young women from attending secondary and university education. Women are excluded from public and private workplaces, with the exception of health, immigration and police departments.

A recent decree has classified the sound of women's voices in public as a moral offense and requires them to cover their entire bodies and faces when outdoors. It also prohibits women from looking at men they are not related to and vice versa.

The Taliban have defended their Islamic governance and rejected international calls to lift restrictions on the freedom of Afghan women. No country has officially recognized Taliban leaders as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.