RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly rebuked the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for urging the group to abolish the death penalty, labeling the call “a blatant affront to Islamic law, irresponsible, and utterly intolerable.” In a statement released on Wednesday, April 16, the ministry insisted that capital punishment remains an inseparable component of Sharia law, and urged UNAMA to refrain from making similar criticisms in the future. According to the ministry, four individuals were executed in the provinces of Badghis, Nimruz, and Farah following what it described as a “comprehensive judicial process.” The statement claimed that all legal procedures were observed, including access to defense attorneys and the issuance of verdicts through all three judicial tiers.
The ministry further warned that “audacious criticism of Islamic rulings is a reckless act” and reiterated that the implementation of hudud fixed punishments under Sharia is a religious obligation for the Taliban. The statement also claimed that the “collective experience of human societies” has proven the “effectiveness of capital punishment” in achieving justice and maintaining social order. UNAMA had earlier condemned the executions as a violation of the fundamental right to life, calling on the Taliban to immediately halt all capital punishments. According to UNAMA, the executions took place on Friday in three different provinces: two individuals were hanged in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis; one in Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz; and another in the city of Farah.
The executions have drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations and governments, many of which view the move as a regression in Afghanistan’s already deteriorating human rights environment. Despite growing international condemnation, the Taliban have signaled no intention of ceasing the use of capital punishment, reaffirming their commitment to what they claim is the rightful enforcement of Islamic law under their rule.
