Khost: Nearly 80,000 people watched a 13-year-old boy shoot dead a man at a stadium in Khost, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. The man was convicted of murdering 13 members of the boy’s family, including nine children.
Images of the execution, reported by Associated Press and Afghan authorities, have been circulated widely, leading to public outcry. While the court’s verdict of a death sentence has not been questioned, people were appalled that the execution was carried out by a 13-year-old.
The killing was conducted under Qisas, the Islamic principle of retribution, after the victim’s family refused any form of reconciliation, the Taliban confirmed. Under this system, the family of the deceased has the right to carry out the execution themselves if the court upholds the death sentence.
The execution order had passed through a district court, an appeals court, and the top court before being approved by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Afghanistan Supreme Court noted.
It described the event as “the divine order of Qisas” and said prayers were offered afterward for national security and stricter implementation of Sharia law.
It was reported that the sports stadium in Khost was filled to capacity, with tens of thousands more reportedly gathering outside. Videos circulating online show crowds chanting religious slogans as five gunshots ended the convicted man’s life.
The man who was has been identified as Mangal, son of Tala Khan. He was accused of killing Abdul Rahman and multiple members of his family about 10 months ago in the Ali Shir and Terezio districts. The teenager who carried out the sentencing is the sole surviving member of the massacred family.
Public executions in Afghanistan are not uncommon. The latest one is the 11th or 12th one since the Taliban regained power in 2021 after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Public punishments, including floggings for offenses such as theft and adultery, have also surged. In one recent instance, at least 63 people were publicly flogged.
Such acts have not helped the Taliban regime gain global acceptance, with human rights groups claiming that the courts in the country do not meet the international standards of due process and are not transparent.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett had called on the Taliban to stop the execution hours before it was carried out.
“Reports received of an imminent public execution in Khost, Afghanistan, this morning. Public executions are inhumane, a cruel and unusual punishment, and contrary to international law. It should be halted,” he posted on X.
