The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reacted the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for urging an end to the use of capital punishment, calling the request “an insult to Islamic rulings, irresponsible, and intolerable.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the ministry asserted that the implementation of the death penalty is an integral and non-negotiable part of Islamic Sharia law. It called on UNAMA to refrain from issuing similar criticisms in the future.
The ministry confirmed that four individuals were executed in the provinces of Badghis, Nimruz, and Farah after what it described as a “thorough judicial process.” It claimed the cases passed through three levels of court proceedings and that the accused had access to legal defence throughout all stages.
The Taliban warned UNAMA that public criticism of Sharia-based rulings contradicts the mission’s role and constitutes behaviour that the group considers “intolerable.” The statement added that the Taliban views the enforcement of Sharia punishments, including the death penalty, as a religious obligation.
Citing what it called the “proven effectiveness” of capital punishment in ensuring justice and maintaining social order, the Taliban defended its use of executions as a means of upholding Islamic legal principles.
The comments follow a statement by UNAMA condemning the execution of four men by the Taliban across three provinces. Two of the men were executed publicly in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis; another in Zaranj, Nimruz; and one in the city of Farah.
UNAMA said the executions violated the fundamental right to life and called on the Taliban to impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Afghanistan.
The executions have drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights organisations and several governments.
