A man identified as Mangal was publicly executed at a stadium in Khost in eastern Afghanistan, witnesses said. According to onlookers, a relative of the victim shot him in front of thousands of spectators after local authorities announced the event.
The Supreme Court described the sentence as a "retaliatory punishment" imposed after the case was "examined very precisely and repeatedly." The court said the victims' families had been offered amnesty and reconciliation but declined.
Officials said Mangal was one of several attackers who opened fire on a house in January 2025, killing ten people, including three women. Local tallies indicate this is the 12th public execution since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Authorities had circulated notices urging people to attend the execution. Some spectators defended the sentence: "These executions could prove to be positive because no one will dare to kill anyone in the future," said Mujib Rahman Rahmani, a resident who attended the event.
UN response: Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, condemned the planned public execution as "inhumane, cruel, and an unusual punishment, contrary to international law," and called for the practice to stop.
Public executions were a hallmark of the Taliban's first regime (1996–2001), frequently held in sports stadiums. In recent months there have been several other public executions, including one in October in Badghis province and multiple executions carried out on the same day in April.
The Taliban also continue to impose corporal punishments such as flogging for offences including theft, adultery and alcohol consumption. All execution orders require the signature of the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is believed to reside in Kandahar.
International rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have strongly criticized the Taliban's use of corporal and capital punishment. In its April report, Amnesty said Afghanistan remained among countries issuing death sentences after trials that did not meet international fair-trial standards.
The public execution in Khost has renewed calls from human rights advocates for accountability, transparent legal processes and an immediate end to public and corporal punishments.
