In a stark and brutal return to the methods of its past rule, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has carried out a public execution where the killer was a 13-year-old boy. The event, which drew a crowd of approximately 80,000 people to a sports stadium in the eastern city of Khost, marks one of the largest such gatherings since the militant group retook power in 2021.
A Grisly Spectacle of 'Qisas' Justice
The executed man, identified only as Mangal, was shot to death on Tuesday, 2 December 2025. Afghanistan's supreme court stated he was guilty of murdering 13 members of the teenage executioner's family, a group which included several children and three women. The killing was formally conducted under the principle of 'Qisas', an Islamic legal term meaning 'retaliation in kind' – effectively an eye for an eye.
Footage from outside the stadium captured the sound of gunshots as frenzied spectators chanted 'Allahu Akbar'. The court confirmed that the victims' relatives had been offered the chance to forgive Mangal, which would have spared his life, but they instead demanded the death penalty. The sentence was approved after passing through a primary court, an appeals court, the top court, and finally by the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Wider Crackdown and International Condemnation
This incident brings the total number of men publicly executed since the Taliban's return to power to 12. Authorities have also issued death sentences for Mangal's two sons, who are wanted in connection with the same murders. Mostaghfar Gurbaz, a Taliban police spokesperson in Khost, said the sons "would have been executed alongside their father" had they been present.
The execution has drawn fierce criticism from international human rights bodies. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, condemned such acts as "inhumane, cruel, and an unusual punishment, contrary to international law" in a statement released before the killing. Amnesty International has demanded an immediate halt to public executions, calling them a "gross affront to human dignity".
This alarming resurgence of state-sanctioned violence coincides with a severe rollback of rights within Afghanistan. The Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law, banning women and girls from secondary and university education and from most forms of employment.
Paradox of Promotion: Tourism vs. Reality
In a disturbing paradox, the spike in brutal public punishments is occurring as some Western travel influencers post glamourised videos promoting tourism in Afghanistan. These videos, shared on platforms like Instagram, present a curated and sanitised view of the country. Nearly 4,000 tourists visited Afghanistan in 2024, with almost 3,000 more in the first quarter of 2025, despite stern travel warnings from the US and EU governments.
Afghan activist Dr Orzala Nemat criticised these influencers, accusing them of helping to rehabilitate the image of an autocratic state. "What we’re seeing... is a curated, sanitised version of the country that conveniently erases the brutal realities faced by Afghan women under Taliban rule," she told NBC News. The contrast is stark: while foreign visitors roam freely, Afghan women face severe restrictions, including strict dress codes and a requirement for a male guardian in public.
Public executions were a hallmark of the Taliban's previous rule from 1996 to 2001. Their return signals a firm commitment to a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, with the regime also employing floggings and stoning for crimes like theft and adultery. As the UN warns of rapid human rights deterioration, the spectacle in Khost stadium serves as a grim reminder of the regime's unyielding and brutal authority.
