Taliban ask officials not to carry out public executions unless directed by ‘top court’: Report | World News

The Taliban have ordered local officials not to carry out public sentences unless Afghanistan’s “highest court” orders the public execution.

The Council of Ministers has decided that no punishment will be carried out publicly unless the convict needs to be made public and the court issues an order, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet.

“Public executions and the hanging of bodies should be avoided unless the Supreme Court issues an order for such a measure,” Mujahid told Dawn newspaper.

“If the perpetrator is punished, the punishment must be explained so that the population can find out about the crime,” said the Taliban spokesman.

Last month, the US strongly condemned the Taliban’s plans to reinstate amputations and executions as a form of punishment in Afghanistan.

During a press conference, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US stands with the Afghan people, especially members of minorities, and calls on the Taliban to stop such cruel attacks immediately.

“We strongly condemn reports of the reinstatement of amputations and executions of Afghans. The acts the Taliban are talking about would clearly constitute gross human rights violations, and we stand firmly with the international community to hold the perpetrators of such abuses “accountable,” Price had said.

In September, several media reports revealed that the Taliban official in charge of prisons and former Justice Minister of Afghanistan, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, had announced that punishments such as executions and amputations would again be carried out in the country.

Following the announcement by the government in Afghanistan, the Taliban regime has not received any recognition. Aside from China, Pakistan and a handful of other countries, the rest of the world has a wait and see policy while keeping an eye on the behavior of the outfit.