The Supreme Court of Afghanistan confirmed a public execution was carried out on Tuesday at a sports stadium in Khost. The condemned man was found guilty of participating in a January 2025 gun attack that killed ten people. Local sources reported that the execution was performed by a 13-year-old boy belonging to the victim's family, acting under the Taliban's interpretation of "qisas," or retaliatory punishment. Court officials stated the victim's family had rejected offers of clemency and monetary compensation. The Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ordered the full implementation of Islamic law in 2022, which includes such retributive justice. This marks at least the 12th public execution since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to an AFP tally. The practice has drawn sharp condemnation from international human rights bodies. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett denounced the executio...
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