Human rights activists have reported that the Taliban, in a continuation of their retaliatory actions against citizens, staged another horrific scene of execution and killing in Herat. According to these activists, on Friday, the group displayed one of the most painful and terrifying anti-human acts by hanging the body of a young man from the barrel of a tank in a crowded intersection in Herat after shooting him. The activists state that this act by the Taliban is a deadly display of violence, marked by kicking the victim’s body and drawing crowds to watch, turning it into a bitter symbol of cruelty, human degradation, and the normalization of violence under Taliban rule.
On Friday last week, the Taliban hung the body of an individual from the barrel of an old tank at the “Kandahar Gate” in Herat, in a densely populated area, after shooting him. Videos circulating on social media show Taliban forces kicking the body’s head and face while people record the scene. A large number of residents gathered at the site to view and photograph the body. Images also reveal a paper attached to the body with the inscription “Death to the Afghanistan Liberation Movement.” This action by the Taliban has sparked strong reactions from human rights and civil activists.
Human rights activists have described this act as a “horrific and shocking crime,” stating that the Taliban have disrespected human dignity and the rights of Afghanistan’s citizens, engaging in deadly vengeance.
Farima Nawabi, a human rights researcher, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “In Herat, the Taliban displayed the naked face of their barbarity. They killed a man and then exhibited his lifeless body in the city—an act that not only violates all religious, ethical, and human rights standards but also demonstrates that this group values nothing but violence and intimidation. This is not justice or punishment; it is a blatant crime, a gross violation of human rights, and an outright humiliation of human dignity.”
Nawabi added, “What the Taliban did in Herat is clearly contrary to Islamic and human principles. Instead of burying the body with respect, they hung a human corpse to instill fear—an act that, from the perspective of religion, ethics, and conscience, is a compounded crime.”
She further noted: “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Articles 1, 2, and 5, explicitly emphasizes the inherent dignity of humans, equality in rights, and the prohibition of cruel and degrading behavior. The Taliban not only killed an individual but also trampled on human dignity. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols stipulate that even in wartime, bodies must be collected, identified, and buried with full respect. Desecrating the bodies of the deceased—regardless of their military or political affiliation—is considered a war crime.”
Shahla Farid, a human rights activist, stated: “Through such actions, the Taliban create fear and terror to intimidate people and deter them from opposing the group, forcing them into self-censorship. They aim to further promote an atmosphere of terror. This group shows no respect for living human society and even violates Islamic teachings by disrespecting the dead. Their goal is to make an example, but this behavior is entirely contrary to Islamic teachings on human dignity. The Taliban are threatening people, showing that they will disrespect not only the living but also the dead.”
Farid emphasized: “This action by the Taliban contradicts social life and human rights values. In the video, children and teenagers are seen gathering, taking photos and videos, which shows that killing a human is being normalized as a tool for displaying power. These children will grow up psychologically conditioned to place no value on respect for humans or human dignity. From an international law perspective, this act is a clear example of a human rights violation and could provide grounds for referring the group to the International Court of Justice, as it serves as documented evidence of a crime.”
Lina Rozbih, a women’s rights activist, posted a video of the young man killed and hanged by the Taliban on her Facebook page, writing: “One can feel horror in its fullest, most extreme, and terrifying form in this video. This is not a scene from a terrifying Hollywood film; this is a crowded intersection in Herat, once considered a cradle of culture and one of the safest cities.”
Rozbih added: “In this video, the bloodied body of a young man hangs like a sheep’s carcass from a rope tied to the barrel of a tank, with blood dripping from his neck and face onto the ground. What are the Taliban doing to Afghanistan and its people? These savages are busy normalizing violence and killing among the country’s future generation. The Taliban have turned killing people into a form of entertainment for the people of this land.”
Sanam Kabiri, a protesting woman, shared a video, stating: “The Taliban have no regard for human dignity or human rights. Whenever they wish, they kill former military personnel and civilians or imprison whomever they choose. The world remains silent in the face of these blatant human rights violations, despite everyone witnessing these crimes. The Taliban trample on human dignity every day, humiliating and punishing people in public squares with whips and extrajudicial tribunals.”
Nawid Ahmad Barakzai, a journalist, reposted the video, writing: “The execution of a young man in Herat and the hanging of his body at an intersection once again reveals the Taliban’s brutal and inhumane face. Even more tragic is the crowd rushing to view the body, which reflects the depth of ignorance and lack of awareness.”
Homeira Qaderi, a writer and native of Herat, reacted to the Taliban’s action on her X page, writing: “Dawood, the man killed most horrifically in Herat and whose body was put on display, was a member of the Afghanistan Liberation Movement and an anti-Taliban group. We women must not forget that Dawood single-handedly shook an entire city. Many of us, in these four years, have done nothing for the people beyond traveling, sightseeing, and self-improvement.”
Gulchehra Yaftali, a protesting woman, addressed the international community in a message: “People of the world! Judge for yourselves how you can deal with such savages who take pleasure in torturing, killing, and suppressing human beings. They gather children and teenagers to witness an innocent person being tortured and hanged in the middle of a city. Yet, you wish to recognize this backward, bloodthirsty group and establish diplomatic relations with them? This is the true face of the Taliban. Anyone who dares criticize their regime will face such a fate.”
The Taliban claimed that the executed individual had killed one of their fighters, Hassan Akhund, the regional control officer of the Taliban’s 10th district, the previous week.
It is said that Dawood, the individual shot and then hanged by the Taliban, was a resident of the Pashtun Zarghun district of Herat province.
This comes as the Taliban have previously shot their opponents with their hands tied in the provinces of Panjshir, Badakhshan, and Baghlan. Numerous reports from human rights organizations indicate that the group has extensively carried out extrajudicial tribunals and unlawful killings.
The Hasht-e Subh Daily has found in multiple reports that the Taliban have shot former military personnel and individuals accused of belonging to opposing fronts with their hands tied. Previously, the group shot a young man named Enayatullah in the Baharak area of the Khenj district of Panjshir province, accused of collaborating with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, with his hands tied.
Additionally, the Taliban have shot dozens of prisoners of war with their hands tied in Badakhshan and Panjshir. Previously, the group shot 22 prisoners of war from the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, with their hands tied, and beheaded one of the front’s commanders. According to the Hasht-e Subh Daily’s findings, the Taliban shot over 70 other prisoners of the National Resistance Front in Panjshir with their hands tied.
On July 7, 2022, Human Rights Watch reported that in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, the bodies of over 100 men executed on charges of supporting ISIS were found in canals and other locations.
Meanwhile, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, in his report, urged the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations and take necessary actions to address these violations. He also called on countries that are members of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to file complaints against the Taliban at the International Criminal Court.
Previously, an organization called the “Panjshiryan Worldwide Council (PWWC)” reported in August 2024 that over three years, the Taliban executed 283 individuals in Panjshir province. These executions included beheadings, eye-gouging, and extrajudicial tribunals.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
واکنشها به صحنه تئاتر مرگ و بیرحمی؛ طالبان کرامت انسانی را گلولهباران کردند
