Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Since seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has reintroduced a series of brutal execution methods under its strict interpretation of Sharia law, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and the international community. Public executions, stonings, and even toppling walls onto criminals have become grim realities in a country where the Taliban enforces its harsh version of justice with little regard for due process.
One of the most shocking examples occurred in November 2023, when a man convicted of murder was executed by gunfire in a sports stadium in Gardez. The execution was carried out by a member of the victim’s family under the principle of “qisas,” or retributive justice, which the Taliban has embraced as part of its legal framework. This “eye for an eye” approach is often applied in cases of murder and physical harm, with executions conducted in public to serve as a deterrent.
In February 2023, two people accused of adultery were stoned to death in Badakhshan province, a punishment that has become increasingly common under Taliban rule. The regime has also introduced the horrific practice of toppling walls onto individuals convicted of “moral crimes,” burying them alive as a form of execution. These punishments, which have no basis in Afghanistan’s pre-Taliban legal system, are carried out in accordance with the group’s extreme interpretation of Islamic law.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has repeatedly warned about the lack of due process in Taliban courts, raising concerns that many of those executed may not be guilty of the crimes they are accused of. Trials are often swift, with little evidence presented and no opportunity for the accused to mount a defense. This has led to fears that the Taliban is using its harsh justice system to eliminate political opponents and suppress dissent.
The Taliban’s return to power has also seen a dramatic erosion of women’s rights and the persecution of minority groups. Girls over the age of 12 are largely barred from attending school, and women face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement and employment. Same-sex relationships and “sodomy” are punishable by long prison terms, while adultery and other “moral crimes” are met with brutal punishments such as stoning.
The Taliban first emerged in the 1990s amid the chaos of Afghanistan’s civil wars, imposing a harsh interpretation of Islam that included public executions and stonings. While the group initially sought to downplay its brutality to gain international legitimacy, it has since abandoned any pretense of moderation. In 2010, a 7-year-old boy was reportedly hanged by the Taliban for “spying,” an act that then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai denounced as a “crime against humanity.”
Today, the Taliban’s brutal punishments are carried out openly, with little regard for international opinion. Videos of executions and stonings have circulated widely on social media, sparking outrage and calls for action from human rights organizations. As the Taliban continues to enforce its harsh version of Sharia law, the people of Afghanistan face a bleak future, with public executions and systemic oppression becoming the new normal.
