In a stark demonstration of justice under their rule, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan carried out a public execution where a 13-year-old relative of the victims was the one to pull the trigger. The event, held at a sports stadium in Khost city, drew a massive crowd of approximately 80,000 spectators.
The Execution and Its Backdrop
The man put to death was identified as Mangal Khan. He had been convicted, along with an accomplice, for a horrific crime: entering a family home in Khost province and shooting dead an extended family. The victims included nine children and their mother, totaling 13 members of the Abdul Rahman family.
This execution on Tuesday, 3rd December 2024, is not an isolated incident. It represents the 11th public execution conducted in Kabul since the Taliban regained power in 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. The ruling regime has enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which has led to the revival of such public punishments, alongside severe restrictions on women's education and employment.
Legal Process and the Choice of Qisas
The execution followed a formal legal process. Afghanistan's Supreme Court stated that a death sentence was passed by a primary court, upheld by an appeals court, and finally confirmed by the top court itself. The order was then approved by the country's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
A key aspect of this case was the option of mercy. The victims' relatives were offered the chance for forgiveness and reconciliation, which would have spared the convict's life. However, the family refused this option. Instead, they insisted on 'Qisas' – a retributive justice principle under Sharia law meaning "an eye for an eye." The court's statement, posted on social media platform X, confirmed the family's refusal to forgive led to the execution order.
International Condemnation and Local Reality
The event has drawn sharp criticism from the international community. United Nations' Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennet, took to X ahead of the execution to call for it to be halted. He stated that "public executions are inhumane, a cruel and unusual punishment, and contrary to international law."
On the ground, the mechanics of the punishment were handled by the victims' family. Khost police spokesman Mustaghfir Gorbaz confirmed the man was shot dead by a relative of those he killed. Independent Afghan news outlet Amu News, citing local sources, identified the executioner as a 13-year-old boy, a relative of the slain family. The vast gathering at the stadium underscores a complex local reality where such events are presented as the delivery of divinely sanctioned justice.
The execution highlights the profound changes in Afghanistan's judicial and social landscape under Taliban rule, where ancient penal codes are implemented publicly, often with victims' families playing a direct role in the ultimate punishment.
