On Thursday, October 16, 2025, Taliban authorities publicly executed a man in Qala-I-Naw, the capital of Badghis province in western Afghanistan. The execution took place in a sports stadium, where the convicted individual was shot three times by a relative of the victims in front of a large crowd, according to witnesses. The man had been convicted of murdering a man and a woman, and his case had been “examined very precisely and repeatedly,” as stated by the Taliban’s Supreme Court. The court also noted that the families of the victims were offered amnesty and peace but declined. Vanguard News
This execution brings the total number of public executions carried out by the Taliban since their return to power in 2021 to 11, according to an AFP tally. Public executions were a common practice during the Taliban’s first rule from 1996 to 2001, often carried out in sports stadiums. www.ndtv.com
The Taliban’s implementation of public executions is based on their interpretation of Islamic law, specifically the principle of “qisas,” which allows for retributive justice. However, these executions have drawn widespread international condemnation, with human rights organizations urging the Taliban to cease such practices
