
The Afghan Taliban forced a 13-year-old to carry out a public execution in front of thousands of spectators, shooting a man who had killed 13 members of the boy's family.
About 80,000 people gathered at a sports stadium in the southeastern province of Khost to witness the "spectacle", condemned by the UN as "inhuman and cruel".
The convicted killer, named Mangal, and two others were found guilty of murdering 13 members of the teenager's family, including several children and women.
The murderer was sentenced to "Qisas" - a retaliatory punishment under Sharia law similar to the biblical principle of "an eye for an eye".
The Supreme Court said the victims' relatives were given the opportunity to forgive and reconcile - an action that would have spared the man's life - but authorities said they instead insisted on the death penalty.
"Today a murderer was sentenced to a revenge (Qisas) sentence at a sports stadium in Khost province," a statement from the Supreme Court of Afghanistan said in X.
“The victim's family was offered the option of forgiveness and revenge, but after they refused and insisted on Qisas, the order was issued to implement the divine verdict of Qisas.
"At the end of the rally, prayers were offered for strengthening national security, for better access of the people to their legitimate rights, and for the proper implementation of Islamic Sharia throughout the country."
The Taliban reportedly banned spectators from bringing camera phones into the stadium where the execution took place.
However, a video captured from outside the stadium claimed to show a large crowd of tens of thousands of men gathering to watch the execution.
Executions were also ordered for two others who were part of the murder, but they could not be carried out because some of the victims' heirs were not present.
The man was shot dead after Afghanistan's three levels of courts - the trial court, the appeals court and the Supreme Court - all upheld the death sentence, with the country's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada giving the final stamp of approval.