Tough stance: In a first, Kabul hangs six Taliban inmates

President Ghani disregarded opposition from predecessor

ISLAMABAD:

Six death-row Taliban prisoners were hanged at a Kabul prison early Sunday in the first set of executions endorsed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

“President Ashraf Ghani has approved the death penalties of six people who had been involved in heinous crimes, killing of people and crimes against humanity,” the presidential palace said in a statement.

“This order has been carried out today after... considering the human rights obligations of Afghanistan... and in accordance with Afghan laws.”

The statement posted on the website of the presidential palace said the Afghan government and Ghani are determined to punish those who have committed “terrorist acts, killed innocent people and posed serious threat to peace”.

Those executed at the at the infamous Pul-e-Charkhi prison on Sunday were members of the Taliban, Haqqani Network and al Qaeda and were convicted of attacks that led to mass casualties, the Afghan media said quoting unnamed government officials.

One of those executed was Hamidullah, a Taliban member who was allegedly involved in the plot to assassinate former president and chief of the High Peace Council Burhanuddin Rabbani, according to the Afghan media.

Ghani has been under pressure to execute the Taliban inmates on death row after the April 19 gun and bomb attack in Kabul that killed 64 people and injured nearly 350 others, the deadliest insurgent attack in Kabul since 2001.

The Afghan leader, who has now prioritised war over reconciliation with the Taliban, hinted at executing the Taliban inmates during his speech to parliament on April 25. Ghani was later presented a list of the condemned prisoners.

But as the Afghan leader announced executions of the Taliban prisoners, international human rights organisations launched appealed to halt the plan.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International, in a statement said the death penalty is no solution to terrorism, urging Ghani not to sign execution orders.

Former president Hamid Karzai had also opposed Ghani’s move, warning that this approach could lead to the culture of revenge in Afghanistan. But two days after Amnesty’s appeal, Ghani approved the hangings.

Taliban vow revenge

A spokesman for the Taliban, while confirming the executions, announced that they would take revenge.

“Slaves have in fact signed their own death penalty. We will take a quick and bloody revenge,” a brief Taliban statement said hours after the inmates were sent to the gallows.

The Taliban had earlier called upon the UN and other international organisations to take notice of what they called “torture of detainees, inhumane treatment and killings under suspicious circumstances”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2016.