The Taliban governor’s spokesperson in Khost said on Tuesday that two sons of a man executed earlier that day have also been sentenced to death. Their executions, he said, have been postponed because the heir of the victims is not currently in Afghanistan.
Mostaghfer Gurbaz, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, also released details of the charges against the man executed on Tuesday, identified as Mangal. He said Mangal was accused of killing members of a family.
According to Gurbaz, Mangal and his two sons killed 13 members of a family ten months ago in the Ali Sher district of Khost. He wrote on X that the cases of Mangal and his sons were identical and that the same ruling of retribution had been issued for all three. However, he said the executions of the two sons were delayed because, under Islamic law, the victims’ heir, described as the family’s surviving young daughter, is abroad. He added that had the heir been present, the two sons would have been executed alongside their father.
On Monday, the Taliban issued a public call urging people to gather at the Khost stadium to witness the execution. The governor’s spokesperson later said that around 80,000 people were present, with images showing spectators even climbing trees to get a clearer view.
Taliban courts have issued death sentences for the man and his sons. The United Nations and human rights organizations consider public executions a violation of human dignity and an inhumane practice, and have repeatedly urged the Taliban to halt them. The Taliban, however, insist they will continue implementing what they describe as Islamic Sharia.
