The Taliban in Afghanistan have compelled a 13-year-old boy to carry out a public execution in a stadium before an estimated 80,000 spectators. The boy shot dead a man convicted of murdering 13 members of his family, including women and children.
The execution took place in a sports stadium in Khost province, southeastern Afghanistan. The convicted man, identified as Mangal, was sentenced under 'Qisas', a retaliation punishment under Sharia law similar to 'an eye for an eye'. The Supreme Court stated that the victims' relatives were offered the chance to forgive, but they insisted on the death penalty.
Authorities banned spectators from bringing camera phones into the stadium, but a video from outside showed a large crowd gathering. The execution was the 11th carried out under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Sharia law, which also includes punishments such as amputation and flogging for crimes like adultery and theft.
The United Nations condemned the act as 'inhuman and cruel'. Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan, called for the execution to be halted, stating that public executions violate international law. The Taliban have also banned women and girls from secondary school and most employment since seizing power in 2021.
