Footage has emerged appearing to show Taliban police officers publicly executing a man in Herat, Afghanistan, shooting him in the street while his hands were tied behind his back. The victim, identified as welder Abdul Qadir, reportedly had no political or militant affiliations and had never previously been detained, and those close to him say he should have faced a court rather than summary killing. The incident highlights the Taliban's continued use of extrajudicial and public executions, drawing renewed international scrutiny of its human rights record.

The video shows officials beating and restraining the man before shooting him as he tried to get up, with a child reportedly present at the scene. Sources allege the killing was orchestrated by a Taliban security commander, Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi, who allegedly arranged it in exchange for permission to marry his brother-in-law's sister; police have said the case stems from "personal enmity" rather than public insecurity, and while suspects were reportedly arrested after the footage spread online, no charges have been brought and the victim's family say they have been pressured to drop the matter. Similar footage of Taliban fighters shooting bound captives has previously surfaced from Panjshir, Andarab and Badakhshan, and in December a 13-year-old was made to carry out a public execution in Khost in front of thousands.