ALEPPO, SYRIA Video shows one of many public executions carried out by the Islamic State when they were at the height of their power in Syria, around 2014-2015. The executioner beheads the prisoner with a single swing of a large sword in front of civilian witnesses, including small children. In the background, the bodies of people executed before him are visible.
The main purpose of these public executions was to instill fear and enforce obedience among the local population. A secondary effect was propaganda, aimed at recruiting new fighters. Sometimes attending the execution was even mandatory for all residents. Other times, locals could actively participate, for example in stoning executions.
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