COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT AFGHANISTAN 26 JUNE 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE AFGHANISTAN 26 JUNE 2009 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN FROM 29 MAY 2009 TO 26 JUNE 2009 REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 29 MAY 2009 AND 26 JUNE 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.09 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...... 3.05 Parliamentary and provincial elections 18 September 2005 .... 3.07 Afghanistan Compact 31 January 2006...................................... 3.09 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ..................................................................... 4.01 Elections 2009 .............................................................................. 4.05 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 6.01 The Executive Branch.................................................................. 6.04 The Legislative Branch ................................................................ 6.05 Provincial councils....................................................................... 6.07 Political parties............................................................................. 6.11 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ........................................................................... 8.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 8.01 Security situation in different regions........................................ 8.15 Kabul city ................................................................................... 8.15 List of security incidents in and around Kabul city ..................... 8.21 The West and Herat................................................................... 8.35 Central ....................................................................................... 8.45 South, south-east and east ....................................................... 8.47 Border region – Afghanistan/Pakistan ....................................... 8.70 North and north-east.................................................................. 8.78 9. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................... 9.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 9.01 Police............................................................................................. 9.03 Afghan National Police (ANP)......................................................... 9.03 Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) ................................................ 9.13 Afghan Border Police (ABP) ...................................................... 9.14 Afghan National Civil Boarder Police (ANCOP)......................... 9.15 Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA)...................... 9.17 Afghanistan National Auxillary Police (ANAP) .............................. 9.18 Structure and reform.................................................................. 9.20 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 28 May 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 26 June 2009. 26 JUNE 2009 AFGHANISTAN Torture ....................................................................................... 9.25 Extrajudicial killings.................................................................... 9.27 Armed Forces ............................................................................... 9.31 Other Government Forces........................................................... 9.35 National Directorate of Security (NDS) (Amniat-e Melli)............ 9.35 Former security forces - KHAD (KhAD) ..................................... 9.38 International Forces ..................................................................... 9.45 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) ......................... 9.46 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).................................. 9.48 Avenues of Complaint ................................................................. 9.49 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................. 10.01 11. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.01 Independence ............................................................................... 11.04 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.06 Code of Criminal Procedure........................................................ 11.09 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS......................................... 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS.......................................................................... 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY................................................................................ 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION...................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of Political Expression................................................. 15.01 Freedom of Association and Assembly ..................................... 15.03 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 16.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 16.01 Media law ...................................................................................... 16.07 Newspapers, radio, Internet and television ............................... 16.11 Journalists .................................................................................... 16.17 Night letters .................................................................................. 16.25 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ......... 17.01 Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) ..................................................................................... 17.01 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)................................. 17.04 18. CORRUPTION..................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION...................................................................... 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Religious demography ............................................................... 19.08 Legislation .................................................................................... 19.11 Muslims ......................................................................................... 19.13 Shias (Shiite) ............................................................................. 19.13 Ismailis .......................................................................................... 19.17 Sikhs and Hindus ......................................................................... 19.18 Christians...................................................................................... 19.24 Christian Converts ..................................................................... 19.29 Baha’is........................................................................................... 19.30 Mixed marriages ........................................................................... 19.31 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ................................................................................ 20.01 Overview ...................................................................................... 20.01 Blood feuds................................................................................ 20.04 Pashtuns/Pathans ........................................................................ 20.06 Tajiks ............................................................................................. 20.11 Hazaras.......................................................................................... 20.14 Uzbeks and Turkmen ................................................................... 20.21 Kuchis ........................................................................................... 20.24 Nuristanis...................................................................................... 20.28 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 28 May 2009. Further brief iii information on recent events and reports has been provided