13-Year-Old Forced to Execute Family's Killer in Taliban-Sanctioned Public Execution Before Thousands

A massive gathering formed outside the stadium where the execution took place.

In eastern Afghanistan last week, the Taliban presided over a public execution where a 13-year-old boy was instructed to shoot a man found guilty of murdering multiple members of the boy's family. The Independent reported that approximately 80,000 people gathered at a sports stadium in Khost province to witness the event.

The United Nations has issued a statement condemning this public spectacle as "inhuman and cruel".

The executed man, identified as Mangal, had been convicted alongside two accomplices for killing 13 of the teenager's relatives, including women and children. According to Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled Supreme Court, the sentence was carried out under Qisas, a principle in Sharia law that allows for retributive justice, similar to the concept of "an eye for an eye".

Taliban officials stated that the victim's family had been offered the option to pardon the killer, which would have saved his life, but they chose to proceed with the death sentence.

The Supreme Court announced on X: "Today a murderer was sentenced to retaliation punishment (Qisas) in the sports stadium in Khost province," noting that the execution followed the family's refusal to grant mercy.

Multiple sources reported that attendees were prohibited from bringing phones into the stadium, but footage captured outside revealed thousands of men gathering for the execution.

This recent execution marks at least the 11th instance of capital punishment carried out since the Taliban reintroduced public punishments under their strict interpretation of Sharia law. Penalties for offenses including murder, adultery, and theft have encompassed executions, amputations, and public floggings.

Following their return to power in 2021 after US and NATO forces withdrew, the Taliban has implemented extensive restrictions on Afghan women and girls. Female students have been prohibited from attending secondary schools and universities, while most employment opportunities have been eliminated, prompting widespread international criticism.