In southeastern Afghanistan, the Taliban orchestrated a dual public execution on Thursday, orchestrating a macabre spectacle as thousands gathered at a stadium to witness the demise of two convicted individuals while their victims' kin discharged the fatal shots.
According to a statement from the Taliban's Supreme Court, the condemned duo was found guilty of fatally stabbing two individuals in separate incidents. The court identified them as Syed Jamal from central Wardak province and Gul Khan from Ghazni, although the exact perpetrators of the stabbings remained unclear.
The statement further elucidated that the executions were sanctioned by three subordinate courts and the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, as a form of retribution for their purported crimes.
As the scene unfolded on Thursday, throngs of onlookers amassed outside the stadium in Ghazni's Ali Lala area, eagerly awaiting the grim spectacle. Religious scholars implored the victims' relatives to extend forgiveness to the convicts, but their pleas were rebuffed.
Subsequently, relatives of the victims took matters into their own hands, administering the fatal shots to the two men. Abu Abu Khalid Sarhadi, a spokesman for Ghazni police, confirmed the executions, although he refrained from specifying the type of firearms employed.
The execution commenced shortly before 1 pm, with a total of 15 bullets discharged—eight aimed at one individual and seven at the other. Subsequently, ambulances arrived to transport their lifeless bodies away from the site.
These executions marked the third and fourth instances of public executions since the Taliban ascended to power in 2021 amidst the tumultuous withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.
The United Nations has vehemently condemned the Taliban's recourse to public executions, as well as other brutal practices such as lashings and stonings, urging the country's rulers to desist from such barbaric acts.
During their previous stint in power during the late 1990s, the Taliban routinely carried out public executions, floggings, and stonings, underscoring a dark chapter in Afghanistan's history.
