Around 80,000 people attended a public execution in Khost, drawing widespread international criticism.
The spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost said that approximately 80,000 people gathered at the provincial stadium to witness the execution. On Tuesday, the Taliban’s Supreme Court executed a man convicted of intentional murder in the main stadium of Khost, after calling on the public a day earlier to attend the event.
According to the Taliban Supreme Court, the execution was carried out after the case passed through all three judicial stages and was approved by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The convicted man, identified as a resident of Paktia, was accused of killing an individual by shooting him. The Taliban did not release further details regarding the legal proceedings or the timeline of the trial.
Local reports indicate that from early morning, large groups of people traveled from different parts of the province to the stadium as Taliban forces implemented tight security measures around the area. According to the reports, the execution was carried out by a member of the victim’s family who shot the convicted man.
The incident has once again intensified concerns over the Taliban’s judicial process and the resurgence of harsh public punishments in Afghanistan.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern over the public execution in Khost and called for the immediate suspension of all executions in Afghanistan.
