AMNesty INterNAtIoNAl rePort 2010 the stAte of the world’s huMAN rIghts A-Z COUNTRY ENTRIES This document was downloaded from thereport.amnesty.org/en/download Please visit thereport.amnesty.org for the complete website and other downloads. Support Amnesty International’s work, buy your copy of the Report or other publications at shop.amnesty.org Amnesty International Report 2010 Amnesty International Report © Amnesty International 2010 Index: POL 10/001/2010 ISBN: 978-0-86210-455-9 ISSN: 0309-068X This report covers the period January to December 2009.10 The Afghan government and its international AFGHANISTAN supporters failed to institute proper human rights protection mechanisms ahead of the August ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN elections. The elections were marred by violence and Head of state and government: Hamid Karzai allegations of widespread electoral fraud, including Death penalty: retentionist ballot box stuffing, premature closure of polling Population: 28.2 million stations, opening unauthorized polling stations and Life expectancy: 43.6 years Under-5 mortality (m/f): 233/238 per 1,000 multiple voting. Adult literacy: 28 per cent Despite a public outcry, President Karzai’s post re-election cabinet included several figures facing credible and public allegations of war crimes Afghan people continued to suffer widespread and serious human rights violations committed human rights violations and violations of international during Afghanistan’s civil war, as well as after the A humanitarian law more than seven years after the USA fall of the Taleban. and its allies ousted the Taleban. Access to health care, education and humanitarian aid deteriorated, Armed conflict particularly in the south and south-east of the country, Abuses by armed groups due to escalating armed conflict between Afghan Civilian casualties caused by the Taleban and other and international forces and the Taleban and other insurgent groups increased. Between January and armed groups. Conflict-related violations increased September, armed groups carried out more than in northern and western Afghanistan, areas previously 7,400 attacks across the country, according to the considered relatively safe. Afghanistan NGO Safety Office. The UN registered more than 2,400 civilian casualties, some two-thirds Background of whom were killed by the Taleban. The Taleban and other anti-government groups Violence peaked in August during the election stepped up attacks against civilians, including attacks period, with many of the attacks indiscriminate or on schools and health clinics, across the country. targeted at civilians. Used as polling stations, schools Allegations of electoral fraud during the 2009 and clinics were vulnerable to attack. According to presidential elections reflected wider concerns about the UN, at least 16 schools and one clinic were poor governance and endemic corruption within the attacked by the Taleban and insurgent groups on government. Afghans faced lawlessness associated election day. with a burgeoning illegal narcotics trade, a weak and On 11 February, the Taleban launched suicide bomb inept justice system and a systematic lack of respect and gun attacks on three Afghan government buildings for the rule of law. Impunity persisted, with the in Kabul, killing at least 26 people, 20 of them civilians, government failing to investigate and prosecute top and injuring more than 60 others, mostly civilians. government officials widely believed to be involved in On 17 September, a suicide car bomb on an human rights violations as well as illegal activities. International Security Assistance Force convoy in Kabul The UN ranked Afghanistan the second poorest out killed at least 18 people, including 10 civilians, and of 182 countries in its index of human development. injured more than 30 civilians. The Taleban claimed The country had the second highest maternal mortality responsibility for the attack. rate in the world. Only 22 per cent of Afghans had At least 30 civilians were killed and 31 wounded in access to clean drinking water. attacks by the Taleban on election day. On 8 October, a Taleban suicide car bomb exploded Impunity – national elections outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul, killing 13 civilians The failure to implement the 2005 Action Plan on and two police officers and injuring another 60 civilians Peace, Justice and Reconciliation and disband illegal and 13 police officers. armed groups allowed individuals suspected of On 28 October, Taleban fighters stormed a UN serious human rights violations to stand for and hold guesthouse in Kabul, killing five foreign UN employees, public office. one Afghan civilian and two Afghan security personnel. Amnesty International Report 2010 55 The attack was the deadliest in years for the UN in two media workers were killed by government forces Afghanistan, leading it to relocate more than 600 and armed groups, and many more were physically foreign staff outside the country. attacked. The Taleban and other armed groups continued to As in previous years, the government failed to attack school buildings and target teachers and thoroughly investigate killings of and attacks on pupils. A total of 458 schools, the majority in the journalists. south, were closed across the country due to In July, five journalists were beaten by police officers insecurity, affecting 111,180 students. The Taleban in Herat for reporting on a public demonstration and particularly targeted girls’ schools. police corruption. In May, a gas attack on a girls’ school in Kapisa On 11 March, Jawed Ahmad, an Afghan journalist province resulted in more than 84 students being taken working for an international news organization, was to hospital. killed by insurgents in Kandahar province. Violations by Afghan and international forces In September, Sayed Parwiz Kambakhsh was A International forces revised their rules of engagement pardoned by President Karzai and given political to minimize civilian casualties, but civilian deaths as a asylum in a third country. He had been serving a result of operations by international and Afghan 20-year prison term for “blasphemy” for allegedly security forces increased in the first half of the year. distributing an article questioning the role of women NATO and US forces lacked a coherent and in Islam. consistent mechanism for investigating civilian casualties and providing accountability and Violence against women and girls compensation to victims. Women and girls continued to face widespread On 4 September, NATO airstrikes near the village of discrimination, domestic violence, and abduction and Amarkhel in Kunduz province killed up to 142 people, rape by armed individuals. They continued to be of whom reportedly 83 were civilians. Although it was in trafficked, traded in settlement of disputes and debts, a position to do so, NATO failed to effectively warn and forced into marriages, including under-age civilians that they were going to launch an imminent marriages. In some instances women and girls were attack in the area (see Germany entry). specifically targeted for attack by the Taleban and On 27 August, NATO forces supporting Afghan army other armed groups. units attacked a clinic in Paktika province, where a Women human rights defenders continued to Taleban leader was reportedly being treated. The attack suffer from violence, harassment, discrimination and violated international humanitarian law which protects intimidation by government figures as well as the combatants no longer fighting due to injury from attack. Taleban and other armed groups. On 4 May, US airstrikes in Bala Baluk district in the In April 2009, the Taleban assassinated Sitara western province of Farah led to the deaths of more Achekzai, a secretary of the Kandahar Provincial than 100 civilians. NATO and US military officials Council and prominent women’s rights activist. reported that Taleban militants were hiding among Legal developments civilian populations to instigate attacks on civilians. The government introduced two laws concerning women. Freedom of expression – journalists In March, the Shi’a Personal Status Law, which The Taleban and other armed groups stepped up contained several discriminatory provisions against attacks against Afghan journalists and blocked nearly Shi’a women, was passed. The law was amended in all reporting in areas under their control. Journalists July following criticism by Afghan women’s groups and were also intimidated and attacked by the the international community. Some discriminatory government. provisions remained. The Taleban attempted to disrupt media coverage In August, the Elimination of Violence Against of the elections. Media workers faced intimidation and Women law was passed by the Afghan President and interference from supporters of President Karzai and Cabinet. The law criminalized violence against women, other candidates, in particular rival presidential including domestic violence. Parliamentary approval of candidate, Abdullah Abdullah. Two journalists and the law remained pending. 56 Amnesty International Report 2010 Lack of humanitarian access education. In several instances, the returnees’ land Insurgent activity, particularly in the southern and and property were occupied by local militias allied eastern provinces, prevented many humanitarian and with the government. aid agencies from operating there. Attacks against aid Thousands of displaced Pakistanis, who fled workers by the Taleban and other armed groups military operations in the north-western