The Taliban carried out public executions of four people on April 11 – the highest number of executions carried out in a single day since the Taliban regained power – prompting condemnation from groups around the world.
Local Taliban officials confirmed that the individuals - who had been accused of murder - were executed in front of crowds that had gathered in the western provinces of Farah, Nimroz and Badghis.
Eyewitnesses to one of these executions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Radio Free Europe's Radio Azadi, said that the victims' relatives shot at the accused.
"Their [accused's] families offered money so that their relatives would not be executed, but the victims' families refused. People don't fully understand these issues, these events have a huge psychological impact," one person said.
In Nimroz province, the Taliban invited civilians, civil servants, and military personnel to witness an execution at a stadium in Zaranj.
"The man was shot by the victim's family. Seeing this scene was horrific. No one wants to see a murder, even if it is said to be divine punishment," said a local resident.
The executions, which are part of the hardline Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law, are described by the regime as "qisas" or retributive or vengeful justice.
Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have resumed corporal punishment and public executions, reviving practices from their oppressive rule in the 1990s. So far, at least 10 people have been publicly executed.
Human rights organizations say these punishments constitute a violation of international law.
According to them, the use of executions as a public spectacle is not only inhumane, but also contributes to the creation of a culture of fear and trauma in communities that have already endured decades of war and violence.
In a statement posted on X, the human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the executions, calling them "abhorrent."
"Afghanistan: The heinous public executions of four people in Nimroz, Farah and Badghis provinces today highlight the Taliban's alarming ongoing human rights abuses in the country. The Taliban's de facto authorities continue to flagrantly violate human rights principles," the statement said.
"The international community must put pressure on the Taliban to stop this flagrant violation of human rights and help ensure that international guarantees are respected in Afghanistan."
The Taliban claim that the executions were carried out after "transparent investigations and judicial procedures," but the United Nations and several human rights organizations have rejected these claims, highlighting the lack of a functioning judicial system and the lack of due process in Taliban courts.
"We are appalled by the executions of four men this morning," the United Nations Human Rights Office said in a post on X, calling on "the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to impose a moratorium on the use of the death penalty."/ REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
