Afghanistan hanged six prisoners on May 8th, which are the first deaths by capital punishment that President Ashraf Ghani has authorized since he became the president of Afghanistan. The hangings were supposed to be a response to the Taliban, who he said he would have no mercy towards. However, it's been shown that the use of the death penalty often does the opposite of what is intended for responding to terrorism.
What is even more troublesome is that Afghanistan is known to have a legal system that often doesn't meet international standards, is extremely corrupt, and often violates due process. The details of this trial have not been released, so it's hard to tell how the Afghanistan legal system came to this decision. Most countries have done away with the death penalty. Please tell President Ashraf Ghani to stop these executions and instead reroute to a path for justice.
Dear President Ashraf Ghani,
On May 8th, you authorized the death of six individuals by hanging. These are the first deaths by capital punishment you've authorized since you've become the president of Afghanistan. It was a response to terrorism, but usually, the use of the death penalty for this purpose backfires and makes matters worse.
Also, Afghanistan's legal process is known to be corrupt -- it violates due process and doesn't meet international standards. For example, the details of this trial have not been released. Afghanistan is one of the only countries that hasn't banned the death penalty.
Please stop these executions and concentrate on justice instead.
Thank you for your time.
