KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban authorities in Badghis province, northwestern Afghanistan, are scheduled to publicly execute a man convicted of murder on Thursday, citing the Islamic concept of retributive justice, or qisas.
Sediqullah Sediqi, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Badghis, said the execution will take place at around 7:00 a.m. in a sports stadium in Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital. He called on residents to attend but instructed them not to bring mobile phones or any recording equipment.
The identity of the man and details of his sentence have not been disclosed.
This will be the eleventh execution carried out by the Taliban under their strict interpretation of Islamic law since regaining power more than four years ago. Earlier public executions have occurred in provinces including Nimruz, Farah, Badghis, Paktia, Ghazni, Laghman, and Jowzjan, all conducted under the Qisas principle, or “retribution in kind.”
Despite initial promises of a more moderate approach, the Taliban have reinstated harsh punishments used during their rule in the late 1990s. Public floggings, stonings, and executions have become increasingly frequent, with hundreds of people—including women and LGBTQ+ individuals—subjected to public flogging over the past four years.
The United Nations, human rights organizations, and activists have condemned the Taliban’s use of public punishment, describing it as “inconsistent with the fundamental right to life” and “a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.” They have also raised concerns over the lack of due process in Taliban-run courts, where defendants are often denied legal representation and basic rights.
Rights groups continue to call on the international community and the UN to pressure the Taliban to halt public executions and uphold international human rights standards.
The Taliban leadership has shown no sign of change. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has repeatedly stated that the regime is implementing Sharia law and intends to continue carrying out executions and corporal punishments.
