13-year-old executes family's murderer in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan before a crowd of 80,000
PTC News Desk: A disturbing video of a public execution, reportedly from Khost in eastern Afghanistan, has surfaced on social media. The footage shows a man who was convicted of killing 13 members of a family — including nine children — being executed in a stadium on Tuesday. The execution was carried out in front of nearly 80,000 spectators and was performed by a 13-year-old boy whose own family members were among the victims.
Taliban officials identified the executed man as Mangal. He had been sentenced by Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, and the punishment was authorized by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
"In Khost Province, the divine order of Qisas (retaliation) was carried out on a murderer," said Afghan Supreme Court, adding, "At the conclusion of the gathering, prayers were made for the strengthening of national security, for the people's better access to their legitimate rights, and for the proper implementation of lslamic Sharia throughout the country."
The public execution has sparked global criticism. The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, condemned it as “inhuman, cruel, and against international law.” Afghanistan’s Supreme Court said this is the 11th execution since the Taliban took control in 2021.
Large crowds, including the victims’ relatives, gathered at the Khost sports stadium to witness the event. Taliban governor spokesperson Mostaghfar Gurbaz said Mangal had been convicted of murdering Abdul Rahman, a resident of Khost, along with several other family members in the Ali Shir and Terezio districts around ten months ago.
- With inputs from agencies
