Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, expressed regret over the public execution of four men by the Taliban, stating that such executions and corporal punishments in public clearly violate international law and must be halted immediately.
On Friday, April 11, the Taliban’s Supreme Court announced the execution of four men in the provinces of Badghis, Nimroz, and Farah. The court stated that two men were executed in Qala-e-Naw (Badghis), one in Zaranj (Nimroz), and another in the center of Farah province, all in public.
According to separate Taliban statements, the men were convicted of murder, and their death sentences were approved by the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Previously, the UN office in Geneva had called on the Taliban to immediately halt the death penalty, expressing concern about the deteriorating human rights situation and the increasing number of executions.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have publicly executed at least nine people. The UN office in Geneva noted last year that despite international calls to uphold human rights, the Taliban have carried out public executions, floggings, and other forms of corporal punishment.
The Taliban continue to ignore international appeals and emphasize the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.
