Friday October 15, 2021
Macabre practice
Taliban forbids hanging corpses without a judge’s decision
During their first reign, hanging corpses was a common practice of the Taliban. Even after the renewed takeover of power, the bodies of suspected criminals can be seen in public in some provinces. From now on, the approval of a judge is required for this.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned the public display and hanging of the bodies of criminals without judicial recommendation. This emerges from an order issued by the militant Islamist rulers late on Thursday evening. In Islamic law there are some crimes in which a public display of the perpetrator could be recommended, such as theft, assistance in adultery or sex outside marriage, defamation or false testimony.
Since taking power in mid-August, the Taliban had publicly hung the bodies of people accused of kidnapping or murder in some provinces. This approach was heavily criticized both domestically and abroad. It also confirmed for many the impression that the Taliban had not changed since their first rule between 1996 and 2001. Back then, public executions of suspected criminals, hanging up bodies or dismembering their bodies were common practice.
In a series of new orders, the Taliban also ordered its security authorities to pay close attention to the security of “important experts” and “famous experts” in the country. It is unclear what exactly is meant by this. After the Taliban came to power in August, many academics and highly educated people left the country because they did not want to live under Taliban rule. This process is still ongoing. Many educated Afghans, especially those who live in the cities, are looking for a way out of the country.