UN: Public Executions in Afghanistan Must Stop

Tawazon – Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has condemned the imminent public execution of a man in Khost, saying that public executions are inhuman, a cruel and unusual punishment, and contrary to international law. He called for the execution to be stopped immediately.

The Taliban announced on Monday that a man would be publicly executed today (Tuesday, December 2) in the Khost stadium. The group also asked residents to gather at the venue to watch the execution.

According to the Taliban’s spokesperson in Khost, the man was found guilty in connection with a serious incident in Alisher district of the province.

This would be the 12th public execution carried out by the Taliban since returning to power. Previously, they executed 11 others in the provinces of Farah, Laghman, Ghazni, Jawzjan, Badghis and Nimroz, in frontof hundreds of spectators.