In Afghanistan, four men convicted of murder were publicly executed. They were shot and killed by male relatives of the alleged victims in front of the public.

It has been announced that four men were publicly executed in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan today. With executions taking place in three different provinces, the number of men publicly executed in open spaces since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021 after 20 years has now increased to ten. The executions conducted publicly were commonly practiced during the Taliban’s initial period from 1996 to 2001. Most of the executions were carried out in stadiums where the public could also attend.

Witnesses speaking to AFP said that in the province of Badghis, two men were shot and executed in front of the public by a male relative of the victims they allegedly killed. Mohammad Iqbal Rahimyar, a 48-year-old witness to the events, said, “(The prisoners) were seated with their backs to us. Relatives of the victims from their families shot them with a gun.”

It was reported that the men were sentenced to the punishment of “qisas” for killing other men. The Afghan Supreme Court defended that the cases were handled “very carefully and repeatedly” before issuing a decision. Afghans were invited to “participate in the event” with official notifications distributed on Thursday.

Similarly, two men were executed in Zaranc city in the province of Nemruz and in Farah city in the province of the same name. These two executions were also announced by the Afghan Supreme Court. In November 2024, a man convicted of murder was also publicly executed in front of thousands of people by a family member of the person he allegedly killed. Senior figures from the Taliban also witnessed the execution at a stadium in the capital of the Paktia province, Gardez.