Khost, Afghanistan - Dec 3, 2025

A massive crowd in the eastern Afghan city of Khost witnessed a grim spectacle this week as Taliban authorities carried out a public execution inside a sports stadium. Officials said around 80,000 people gathered after the country’s Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of a man named Mangal, who was convicted of killing 13 members of a single family. The ruling had passed through all three Afghan courts and was finally approved by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhunzada.

According to the court’s statement, Mangal was found guilty of murdering Abdul Rahman and twelve others, including women and children. Before delivering the final order, judges offered the victims’ relatives the option of forgiveness or a settlement, but the family refused. They demanded Qisas, a form of punishment in Islamic law that lets the victim’s family take part in carrying out the sentence. After their decision, officials declared that the “divine ruling” would be enforced publicly.

Witnesses described a tense and unsettling atmosphere inside the stadium. Security forces brought Mangal before the crowd, and medical workers examined him as part of the formal procedure. Moments later, a relative of the victims stepped forward and shot him. Local reports claimed a 13-year-old boy from the family pulled the trigger, though this detail has not been independently verified.

A resident who attended the execution told local media that the punishment felt justified to many because the crime targeted women and children, which the community viewed as especially unforgivable. In the same case, two of Mangal’s sons were also convicted, but their executions were postponed because some heirs of the victims live abroad and must be present for Qisas to be carried out.

The event marked the eleventh execution since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and reflected their continued push to enforce strict Sharia-based punishments. Since the withdrawal of US and NATO forces four years ago, the Taliban have reintroduced several hard-line measures, including severe restrictions on women and girls, especially in education.

The scale of the turnout showed how significant and rare such events remain, even under Taliban rule. Officials, local leaders, and thousands of civilians filled the stadium, creating an atmosphere shaped by both curiosity and fear. For many, it was a blunt reminder of the new legal landscape the country now lives under.

Shortly before the execution, Richard Bennett, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, urged the Taliban on social media to stop the punishment. He wrote that public executions are cruel, violate human dignity, and break international law. After the killing, he repeated his condemnation and added that such acts also conflict with Islamic teachings that emphasize justice and mercy.

Human rights organizations have warned that the revival of public executions deepens Afghanistan’s international isolation and adds to the suffering of its people. Many fear that more such punishments may follow, making reconciliation with the global community even harder.

Despite the criticism, Taliban leaders maintain that their decisions follow Islamic principles and respect the wishes of victims’ families. The execution in Khost showed their determination to uphold those methods, even as the world reacts with concern.

This latest event now stands as a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s shifting reality—one in which justice and punishment unfold under strict interpretations of Sharia, and the rest of the world can do little more than watch from a distance.

Crowds Stunned as Taliban Carry Out Rare Public Execution in Packed Afghan Stadium

A shocking scene unfolded in Khost, Afghanistan, where nearly 80,000 people gathered inside a sports stadium to witness a public execution carried out by the Taliban. The man executed, identified as Mangal, had been convicted of killing 13 members of a single family, including women and children. The ruling passed through all Afghan courts and was finally approved by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhunzada.

Before the execution, the victims’ family was offered the choice of forgiveness or settlement, but they refused and demanded Qisas, a punishment under Islamic law that lets the family take part in the execution. As the crowd watched, security forces brought Mangal into the stadium and doctors carried out the required checks. Moments later, a relative of the victims stepped forward and shot him. Local reports claimed the shooter was a 13-year-old boy from the family, though this detail could not be confirmed.

Two of Mangal’s sons were also convicted in the same case, but their executions were postponed because some heirs of the victims live abroad and must be present under the rules of Qisas. This execution was the eleventh since the Taliban took control in 2021 and reflects the return of strict Sharia-based punishments in the country.

The massive crowd included local residents, Taliban officials, and witnesses who said the punishment felt justified because the crime targeted women and children. But the event also drew strong criticism. The UN’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, urged the Taliban to stop the execution, calling public killings cruel and against human dignity.

The Khost execution has become another reminder of Afghanistan’s harsh new reality and the growing gap between the Taliban’s justice system and global human rights standards.