Taliban authorities announced Tuesday they will publicly execute a murder convict Wednesday morning at a sports stadium in Gardez, eastern Afghanistan, marking the sixth such execution since the group returned to power in August 2021.
The execution in Paktia province’s capital, announced via social media platform X, cites the Islamic principle of qisas, or retributive justice. Officials invited religious scholars and civilian and military authorities to attend but banned cameras and cell phones from the event, where previous executions have been carried out by gunshot.
The announcement comes amid intensifying international criticism of the Taliban’s implementation of their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. The United Nations has condemned public executions as “inconsistent with the fundamental right to life” and “a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”
Taliban courts have also ordered the flogging of hundreds of men and women in packed stadiums for “immoral crimes” including adultery, homosexuality, and theft. According to Taliban Supreme Court data, nearly 100 Afghans, including women, received public lashings and jail terms ranging from six months to two years in October alone.
Women’s rights have deteriorated significantly under Taliban rule, with leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issuing a series of decrees that U.N. assessments say “systematically” exclude women from public life. The restrictions now encompass bans on education beyond primary school, severe workplace limitations, and strict rules governing public appearance and behavior. Women must fully cover their bodies and faces in public, are forbidden from being heard in public, and face restrictions on interactions with unrelated men.
The Taliban have defended their governance model as properly Islamic while rejecting international pressure to reverse restrictions on women’s freedoms. No country has officially recognized the Taliban government since it resumed control of Afghanistan.
Human rights organizations continue to urge immediate cessation of corporal punishment, arguing it violates both human rights and international law. The Taliban’s justice system, however, shows no signs of moderation as the group consolidates its rule.
