A man accused of mass murder was publicly executed by the Taliban in Khost province, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. The event was held at a sports stadium and drew an incredibly large crowd, estimated at around 80,000 people. This public act of justice, or ‘Qisas‘ in retribution, has immediately brought strong criticism from around the world.
The #Taliban have turned #Afghanistan into an exhibition of brutality: yesterday flogging, today a public execution in the Khost stadium. A man was gunned down on the orders of #Hibatullah, in front of hundreds of children and teenagers and most shocking of all, the final shot… pic.twitter.com/cfrlwvWgMR
— Golchehrah Yaftali (@womenaidafghan1) December 2, 2025
Taliban: The Crime and the Conviction
Taliban officials named the executed man as Mangal. He had been convicted of killing a local resident named Abdul Rahman and twelve members of his family, nine of whom were children.
The murder reportedly occurred some ten months ago. According to the Taliban, Mangal’s conviction had been confirmed at all levels of the court system, right from the court of first instance to the appeal court and the Supreme Court.
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Where Did the Execution Happen?
The execution itself was a very public affair: despite Taliban orders banning camera phones, videos surfaced online within minutes, showing thousands of people both inside and outside the stadium.
The clips allegedly captured the sounds of gunfire, combined with the cacophonous chanting of religious slogans by the thousands-strong crowd.
Holding such an event in a public arena like a sports stadium is a clear sign of the Taliban’s return to a very harsh and visible system of justice.
Punishment from the Mouth of a Babe
Perhaps the most surprising detail to come out in Afghan media reporting was who carried out the execution: according to news reports, the fatal shots were fired by the victim’s 13-year-old son, Abdul Rahman, who survived the initial attack but lost most of his family.
The Taliban’s version of Qisas provides that victims’ family members be given a choice: to forgive the offender or seek retaliation. According to the report, the 13-year-old boy would not forgive Mangal.
After a short public declaration by authorities, the boy executed him under the law of Qisas.
International Condemnation: Human rights groups and international organizations immediately condemned the execution, calling it a horrifying example of how the Taliban deal out severe justice, often ordering public floggings, stoning, and executions.
What is Qisas?
Qisas, under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law, is the principle of retributive justice, often translating to “equal retaliation” for crimes like murder.
This means the victim’s closest relatives hold the power to demand the execution of the convicted person, or they can choose to grant forgiveness or accept Diyya (blood money) instead. The Taliban uses public Qisas executions, sometimes carried out by the victims’ family members, to enforce a visible and severe system of justice.
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