UN Condemns Taliban's Surge in Public Executions and Floggings, Urges Immediate Halt

On April 11, the Taliban’s Supreme Court announced the public execution of four men in three separate provinces—two in Badghis, and one each in Farah and Nimroz.

A group of United Nations human rights experts has strongly condemned the Taliban’s recent increase in public executions and corporal punishments across Afghanistan, calling on the de facto authorities to impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and end all inhumane practices.

On April 11, the Taliban’s Supreme Court announced the public execution of four men in three separate provinces—two in Badghis, and one each in Farah and Nimroz. These executions, carried out under the Taliban’s interpretation of Qisas (retributive justice rooted in Islamic law), bring the total number of known public executions in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 to at least ten.

“These executions are a blatant violation of international law and an affront to human dignity,” said the group of UN experts, including Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial killings, torture, and the independence of judges and lawyers. “Public executions serve no purpose other than to instill fear, normalize brutality, and further desensitize the population to violence.”

A Rising Trend of Punishment

The recent executions are part of a growing pattern of harsh retributive justice under Taliban rule. UN experts expressed alarm over a surge in the use of corporal punishment, including floggings, primarily for alleged moral or social transgressions such as sodomy, fleeing home, or engaging in so-called ‘illicit relationships.’

According to figures released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, at least 213 lashings—169 against men and 44 against women—have been recorded since the start of 2025. Alarmingly, in the immediate days following the public executions, at least 19 additional individuals (14 men and 5 women) were publicly flogged.

Concerns Over Legal Process and Vulnerable Groups

The UN warned that these punishments are being meted out within a judicial system that lacks both transparency and fairness. “Afghanistan currently lacks a functioning constitution or legal framework. The Taliban’s judicial system fails to meet the minimum standards of due process,” the experts said, highlighting concerns over the independence of the judiciary and the absence of procedural safeguards.

Of particular concern is the sentencing of minors and individuals with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. The experts reiterated that international law prohibits the death penalty in such cases. “There is no indication that the Taliban courts consider age or mental capacity, which raises grave human rights concerns,” they noted.

Broader Human Rights Crisis

These developments are occurring against the backdrop of widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power, they have rolled back hard-won rights, especially for women and girls. UN officials describe a state of institutionalized oppression, with many girls denied access to education and women facing severe restrictions on employment, movement, and public life.

“Capital and corporal punishments are fundamentally incompatible with Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations—especially in a context where fair trial rights are routinely denied,” the experts said. They emphasized that turning punishments into public spectacles exacerbates a culture of fear and control, particularly in an environment already hostile to justice and accountability.

Call for International Action

The UN experts called on the international community to increase pressure on the Taliban to respect international norms and protect the rights of all Afghans. “The Taliban must end the use of the death penalty and all forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. They must ensure access to justice, uphold fair trial standards, and restore the rights and dignity of every individual—especially women, girls, and vulnerable populations.”

The UN reiterated its call for the international community to continue documenting abuses and to engage diplomatically and strategically to hold the Taliban accountable.

As the human rights crisis in Afghanistan deepens, the experts warned that silence and inaction will only embolden the perpetrators of violence. “This is a pivotal moment for Afghanistan and for global human rights. We must not look away.”