UN Expert Condemns Public Execution by Taliban in Badghis
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has strongly condemned the Taliban’s latest public execution in Badghis province, calling on the group to immediately halt the practice and take steps towards a full abolition of the death penalty.
In a statement, Bennett described the death penalty as a “cruel, inhuman, and degrading” punishment. He emphasized that it is irreversible, often applied unfairly, and lacks any proven deterrent effect on crime.
According to the Taliban’s Supreme Court, a man was publicly executed in a sports stadium in Badghis on Wednesday, 16 October, after being convicted of murder. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, at least eleven people have been executed in public.
Bennett further underlined that while the use of the death penalty is concerning under any circumstances, its enforcement is particularly alarming in Afghanistan, where the justice system under Taliban control lacks independence and fair trial guarantees.
He warned that under Taliban rule, public executions and other severe forms of punishment not only represent acts of brutal violence but are deliberately employed to control society and instill fear among the population.
