“I HAD to RUN AWAY” the Imprisonment of Women and Girls for “Moral Crimes” in Afghanistan WATCH
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HUMAN RIGHTS “I HAD TO RUN AWAY” The Imprisonment of Women and Girls for “Moral Crimes” in Afghanistan WATCH “I Had To Run Away” The Imprisonment of Women and Girls for “Moral Crimes” in Afghanistan Copyright © 2012 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-877-5 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org MARCH 2012 ISBN: 1-56432-877-5 “I Had To Run Away” The Imprisonment of Women and Girls for “Moral Crimes” in Afghanistan Map of Afghanistan ........................................................................................................... iii Glossary of Acronyms and Terms ....................................................................................... iv Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Key Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 8 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 10 Photo Feature ....................................................................................................................14 I. Women’s Rights since the End of Taliban Rule ............................................................... 26 Violence against Women and Girls ......................................................................................... 29 Prevalence of Forced and Underage Marriage .......................................................................... 30 Traditional Practices of Baad and Baadal ................................................................................ 32 II. The Crimes of “Running Away” and Zina ....................................................................... 34 “Running Away” ..................................................................................................................... 34 Zina ........................................................................................................................................ 36 III. Case Studies of “Running Away” and Zina ................................................................... 38 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for “Running Away” ................................................................ 41 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for “Running Away” Following Forced Marriage ....................... 47 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for “Running Away” from Impending Forced Marriage .............. 55 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for Zina ................................................................................. 60 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for Zina Following Child Marriage ........................................... 60 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for Zina after Being Raped ..................................................... 64 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for Zina after Being Kidnapped ............................................... 72 Women Imprisoned or Arrested for Zina Resulting from Forced Prostitution ............................. 74 IV. Injustice at Every Stage: The Role of Judges, Prosecutors, Police ................................. 78 Judges .................................................................................................................................... 79 Prosecutors and Police ........................................................................................................... 81 Family Response Units and Women Police Officers ................................................................. 84 Failure to Investigate and Prosecute Violence against Women ................................................ 86 “Confessions” ....................................................................................................................... 89 Presidential Pardons ............................................................................................................. 90 Shelters: Help for Some .......................................................................................................... 91 Dangers after Release ............................................................................................................ 94 Defense Representation ......................................................................................................... 95 Assistance from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs ..................................................................... 95 Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission ............................................................ 96 Marriage, Divorce, and Child Custody ...................................................................................... 97 V. Relevant Afghan and International Law ....................................................................... 100 Afghanistan’s Constitution ................................................................................................... 100 Offenses of Zina and “Running Away” ................................................................................... 101 Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) ................................................... 104 Afghanistan’s Obligations under International Law ............................................................... 105 ICCPR ................................................................................................................................... 107 CEDAW ................................................................................................................................. 107 ICESCR ................................................................................................................................. 109 CRC ...................................................................................................................................... 110 VI. Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 113 To the President of Afghanistan .............................................................................................113 To the Supreme Court ............................................................................................................113 To the Attorney General ........................................................................................................ 114 To the Minister of Interior ....................................................................................................... 115 To the Minister of Women’s Affairs ........................................................................................ 116 To the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs, and Disabled ............................................... 116 To the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) ............................................ 116 To the Afghan Independent Bar Association ........................................................................... 117 To the United Nations and International Donors ..................................................................... 117 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 119 Map of Afghanistan © 2012 Human Rights Watch iii Glossary of Acronyms and Terms AGO: Attorney General’s Office, responsible for prosecuting crimes. AIHRC: Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, an independent government body responsible for monitoring and protecting human rights. Baad: Traditional practice involving giving a girl to another family to resolve a dispute. Baadal: The exchange of daughters between two families for marriage. Badam Bagh: Afghanistan’s largest women’s prison, located in Kabul. CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. Civil Code: Afghan law containing provisions regarding divorce and child custody. CPD: Central Prison Directorate, responsible for running adult prisons. CRC: Convention on the Rights of the Child. DoWA: Department of Women’s Affairs, provincial offices representing the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Dowry: Money given by a groom’s family to a bride as part of a marriage agreement. Escape from home: Alternative translation of “running away,” treated as a crime under article 130 of the Afghan Constitution. EVAW: Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, adopted by presidential decree in 2009. FRU: Family Response Units, units within the police designed to provide specialized assistance to women. Hanafi: School of Islamic law interpretation.