The Taliban executed a man in a public gathering in Khost Province on Tuesday, with an estimated 80,000 people present, according to the provincial governor’s office.
The statement released by the Taliban identified the man as Mangal and said he was convicted of killing Abdul Rahman, a resident of the Alisher district of Khost.
The execution was carried out in the provincial sports stadium after Taliban authorities called on officials and local residents to attend.
The spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, Mustaghfar Gurbaz, shared on X that an estimated 80,000 people were present, along with a photo from the scene.
This is the 12th public execution carried out by the Taliban since they regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Previously, the group executed 11 individuals in public gatherings in Farah, Laghman, Ghazni, Jawzjan, Badghis, and Nimroz provinces.
Amnesty International has condemned the Taliban’s use of public executions. In a 2024 statement, Livia Saccardi, the organization’s interim Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said: “We oppose all executions as a violation of the right to life. Public executions are a gross affront to human dignity and violate international law. The Taliban must halt all executions and abolish the death penalty.”
Amnesty also called on the international community and the UN to pressure the Taliban to respect human rights and ensure fair trials. The organization continues to campaign globally for the complete abolition of the death penalty.
