Afghanistan September 2007
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT AFGHANISTAN 7 SEPTEMBER 2007 Border & Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE AFGHANISTAN 7 SEPTEMBER 2007 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN FROM 25 JUNE TO 6 SEPTEMBER 2007 REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 25 JUNE 2007 AND 6 SEPTEMBER 2007 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.06 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 Overview to December 2001........................................................ 3.01 Post-Taliban.................................................................................. 3.02 Presidential election 9 October 2004 and the new Cabinet...... 3.09 Parliamentary and provincial elections 18 September 2005 .... 3.12 Afghanistan Compact 31 January 2006...................................... 3.16 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ..................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.12 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION........................................................................... 8.01 Security situation in different regions........................................ 8.07 Kabul.......................................................................................... 8.07 The West and Herat................................................................... 8.15 Central ....................................................................................... 8.23 South, south-east and east ....................................................... 8.25 North and north-east.................................................................. 8.38 9. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................... 9.01 Developments following 11 September 2001............................. 9.01 Police............................................................................................. 9.06 Structure and reform.................................................................. 9.06 Torture ....................................................................................... 9.18 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 9.22 Armed Forces ............................................................................... 9.24 Other Government Forces........................................................... 9.31 National Security Directorate (NSD) (Amniat-e Melli)................ 9.31 International Forces ..................................................................... 9.36 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)........................... 9.36 The role of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)................ 9.42 Avenues of Complaint ................................................................. 9.47 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................. 10.01 11. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES ............................... 11.01 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 7 September 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 7 SEPTEMBER 2007 AFGHANISTAN Warlords and commanders ......................................................... 11.01 War crimes and human rights abuses prior to 2001................. 11.10 Persons in conflict with present power brokers ....................... 11.15 Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (DDR).................................................................... 11.18 Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG)........................... 11.21 Anti-Government and Anti-Coalition Forces (ACF)................... 11.27 Overview.................................................................................... 11.27 Taliban/neo-Taliban ................................................................... 11.38 Former Taliban members .......................................................... 11.54 Former Taliban participation in 2005 Elections.......................... 11.72 Hizb-e-Islami (Hisb-e-Islami/Hezb-e-Islami/Hizb-i-Islami).......... 11.75 Former Hizb-e-Islami members ................................................. 11.84 Former Hizb-e-Islami members’ participation in the 2005 elections.................................................................. 11.90 Al Qa’ida (Al-Qaeda).................................................................. 11.97 12. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 12.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 12.01 Independence ............................................................................... 12.10 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 12.14 Code of Criminal Procedure........................................................ 12.17 13. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS......................................... 13.01 14. PRISON CONDITIONS.......................................................................... 14.01 US military bases ......................................................................... 14.14 15. DEATH PENALTY................................................................................ 15.01 16. POLITICAL AFFILIATION...................................................................... 16.01 Persons with links to the former Communist regime ............... 16.01 KHAD (KhAD) (Former Security Services) ................................ 16.01 Treatment of former KhAD members......................................... 16.08 Former members of the PDPA (People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) .............................. 16.16 Former Communists’ participation in the 2005 elections ........... 16.25 Freedom of Association and Assembly ..................................... 16.32 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 16.36 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 17.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 17.01 Media Law ..................................................................................... 17.12 Newspapers, radio, Internet and television ............................... 17.15 Journalists .................................................................................... 17.23 18. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ......... 18.01 Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) ..................................................................................... 18.01 Domestic and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) ............................................................. 18.10 Afghans working for international organisations and international security forces ........................................... 18.18 Women’s rights activists ............................................................. 18.23 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION...................................................................... 19.01 Background and demography .................................................... 19.01 Constitutional rights, religious law and institutions................. 19.05 Religious groups .......................................................................... 19.10 Shia (Shiite) Muslims ................................................................. 19.10 Ismailis....................................................................................... 19.14 Sikhs and Hindus....................................................................... 19.16 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 7 September 2007. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. AFGHANISTAN 7 SEPTEMBER 2007 Converts and Christians ............................................................ 19.27 Mixed marriages ........................................................................ 19.43 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ................................................................................ 20.01 Introduction .................................................................................. 20.01 Pashtuns/Pathans ........................................................................ 20.07 Blood feuds............................................................................. 20.13 Tajiks ............................................................................................