Afghanistan executes six Taliban inmates

Taliban warns it will target 'those who have passed sentences'

ISLAMABAD: Six Afghan Taliban inmates on death row were hanged on Sunday, in the first set of executions approved by President Ashraf Ghani since he came to power in 2014.

"In accordance with the Afghan constitution...Ghani approved executions of six Taliban inmates who perpetrated grave crimes against civilians and security personnel," the presidential palace said in a statement, according to the AFP.



President Ashraf Ghani approved the executions two days after Amnesty International urged the beleaguered leader not to sign death warrants of prisoners convicted of terror offences. Ghani was under pressure to execute the inmates who were awarded death penalties after perpetrating the deadly April 19 bombings in Kabul which claimed 64 lives and injured 350 others.

The prisoners were hanged at the Pul-e-Charkhi prison, according to Afghan media. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said he is collecting information about the reported executions.

The Afghan President, who has now prioritised war over reconciliation with the Taliban, had alluded to the execution of Taliban inmates in his parliamentary speech on April 25. Ghani was later presented a list of the condemned prisoners.

As the Afghan leader announced execution of the Taliban prisoners, international human rights organisations launched appeals for a halt to the move.



The Amnesty International, in a statement, said the death penalty is no solution to terrorism, urging Ghani to not sign the death warrants. "By hastily seeking retribution for the horrific bombings that killed over 64 people in Kabul last month, the government of Afghanistan's plans to execute those convicted of terror offences…will neither bring the victims the justice they deserve nor Afghanistan the security it needs," said Jameen Kaur, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for South Asia.

Former President Hamid Karzai had also opposed Ghani’s move and warned this approach might have disastrous consequences for the country.

The execution is seen a serious blow to the ongoing diplomatic efforts to start reconciliation process in the war-torn country.



The Taliban has warned of targetting those who have passed sentences. “The enemy’s supposed judicial bodies will once again pay a hefty price for their crimes,” a Taliban statement said last week.

Some pro-government warlords are asking Ghani to execute Anas Haqqani, brother of Siraj Haqqani, second-in-command in the Taliban movement, who was handed over to Kabul by American officials in October 2014. Anas was arrested after he travelled to Qatar to meet five Taliban leaders freed by the US from the Guantanamo prison.