Afghanistan: Taliban To Resume Executions And Amputations

Executions and hand amputations will resume under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, a senior militant leader has said. 

Ever since taking charge and forming a new government, mixed messaging from Taliban spokespeople has stoked concerns about the livelihood of Afghan residents, particularly women. As many predicted, the days of executions and people’s hands being chopped off as a form of ‘punishment’ will return.

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi earlier served as justice minister and head of the ‘ministry of propagation of virtue and prevention of vice’ under the Taliban’s earlier rule. Like other Taliban leaders, he’s one of the all-male members of the interim cabinet and is on a United Nations sanctions list.

He’s now been placed in charge of the country’s prisons. Echoing his previous sentiments, he’s dismissed concerns from other nations over the Taliban’s version of Islamic justice.

Turabi claimed the practice of amputating hands acted as a deterrent for others. ‘Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,’ he said, adding that the cabinet will also discuss whether to bring back public executions and ‘develop a policy’ with regards to how people are killed under its rule.

This comes after an earlier Human Rights Watch report outlined a number of abuses under the Taliban justice system, like ‘prolonged arbitrary detention and summary punishments, including executions.’

‘While public punishment for infractions is infrequent compared to the 1990s for offences deemed more serious, Taliban officials have imprisoned residents and inflicted corporal punishments such as beatings,’ it added.

Human Rights Watch also reported the Taliban has been ‘searching out high-profile women, denying women freedom of movement outside their homes [and] imposing compulsory dress code.’