Afghanistan’s Taliban government has carried out another public execution, this time in Khost province, with an estimated 80,000 people in attendance. The condemned man, Abdul Rahman, faced the firing squad for allegedly murdering 13 members of a family. This event represents a continuation of the Taliban’s implementation of capital punishment since regaining control in 2021.
The man’s execution took a highly unusual and grim turn when a 13-year-old boy, a relative of the victims, was designated to carry out the killing. Following his refusal to pardon the accused, the boy was equipped with a weapon and fired the shots at the stadium’s central sports arena, thereby executing the sentence of ‘Qisas’ as dictated by their interpretation of Sharia.
This public display of justice is emblematic of the Taliban’s commitment to a stringent application of Islamic law, which has led to widespread criticism, particularly regarding the severe restrictions on women’s education and freedoms. The Taliban Supreme Court also announced that two sons of the executed man were convicted for their roles in the same massacre. However, their executions are deferred until all legal heirs, some of whom live abroad, are present to exercise their right to retaliatory justice.
Afghan news outlets reported the presence of numerous senior Taliban officials and family members of the victims among the massive crowd. Medical checks were completed on the accused before the boy, representing the victims’ family, enacted the final judgment. Local sentiment in Khost appeared to be largely in favor of the execution, with some residents stating that the extreme brutality of the crime demanded such a severe consequence.