RASC News Agency: Following the recent execution of a man in Paktia by the Taliban, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has issued a statement calling for an immediate suspension of all executions in Afghanistan. UNAMA condemned the public execution as a violation of Afghanistan’s international human rights commitments and has demanded an immediate halt to the practice. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, November 13, UNAMA urged the Taliban to suspend all death sentences with the broader aim of working toward abolishing capital punishment. The organization emphasized the importance of adhering to fair trial standards, specifically calling on the Taliban to respect due process rights and ensure that all defendants have access to legal representation.
This appeal from UNAMA follows the Taliban’s public execution of a man accused of “premeditated murder” in Gardez Stadium, the main sports facility in Paktia’s capital city. Sources indicate that the executed man had allegedly killed a Taliban member. His execution was conducted in the presence of senior Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Minister of Interior, and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the acting Minister of Refugees, alongside other Taliban authorities and a crowd of spectators.
This incident represents the sixth public execution conducted by the Taliban since they regained control of Afghanistan. In addition to these executions, the Taliban have reportedly detained and tortured hundreds of individuals over the past three years. According to a recent Taliban statement, approximately 16,000 individuals are currently imprisoned under the group’s authority, with hundreds sentenced to amputations and long-term imprisonment.
