COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT AFGHANISTAN APRIL 2006 RDS - IND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE i Contents Paragraphs 1. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT...................................................................... 1.01 2. GEOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 2.01 3. ECONOMY........................................................................................ 3.01 4. HISTORY.......................................................................................... 4.01 Overview to December 2001........................................................ 4.01 Post-Taliban.................................................................................... 4.02 Presidential election 9 October 2004 and the new Cabinet...... 4.11 Run-up to the parliamentary and provincial elections.............. 4.16 Parliamentary and provincial elections 18 September 2005 .... 4.18 Afghanistan Compact 31 January 2006...................................... 4.20 5. STATE STRUCTURES ........................................................................ 5.01 The constitution ........................................................................... 5.01 Citizenship and nationality ......................................................... 5.05 Political system ............................................................................ 5.09 Overview ..................................................................................... 5.09 Parliamentary elections ............................................................. 5.14 Political parties ........................................................................... 5.18 Parliamentary candidates ........................................................... 5.25 Judiciary........................................................................................ 5.29 Legal rights/detention ................................................................... 5.37 Death penalty................................................................................ 5.47 Internal security............................................................................ 5.51 Developments following 11 September 2001 ............................ 5.51 Security Sector Reform (SSR)................................................... 5.57 Warlords and commanders......................................................... 5.63 Internal Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)........................... 5.74 The role of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)................ 5.79 Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (DDR) .................................................................... 5.84 Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG)........................... 5.87 National Security Directorate (NSD) (Amniat-e Melli) .................. 5.93 Army .............................................................................................. 5.96 Police............................................................................................. 5.102 Prisons and prison conditions.................................................... 5.111 US military bases ......................................................................... 5.124 Military service ............................................................................. 5.132 Medical services........................................................................... 5.136 General ...................................................................................... 5.136 Women and children.................................................................. 5.149 People with disabilities............................................................... 5.157 HIV/AIDS ................................................................................... 5.162 Mental health ............................................................................. 5.167 Other medical conditions ........................................................... 5.176 Educational system...................................................................... 5.185 6. HUMAN RIGHTS ............................................................................... 6.01 6.A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES.................................................................... 6.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 6.01 Security Situation....................................................................... 6.13 Security situation in different regions........................................... 6.23 Kabul.......................................................................................... 6.23 ii This Country of Origin Information report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 10 March 2006. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not availablein more recent documents. The West and Herat .................................................................... 6.32 Central ....................................................................................... 6.39 South, south-east and east ...........................................................6.41 North and north-east................................................................... 6.47 Parliamentary elections 2005 .................................................... 6.52 Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment ............................... 6.55 War crimes and human rights abuses prior to 2001 .................. 6.64 UNHCR/ECRE guidelines.......................................................... 6.70 Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) ..................................................................................... 6.77 Domestic and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)............................................................... 6.84 Afghans working for international organisations and international security forces ...................................................6.93 Freedom of speech and media.................................................... 6.94 Overview.................................................................................... 6.94 Media Law ................................................................................. 6.101 Newspapers, radio and television...............................................6.104 Parliamentary election campaign............................................... 6.111 Journalists.................................................................................. 6.116 Freedom of religion...................................................................... 6.131 Background and demography.................................................... 6.131 Constitutional rights, religious law and institutions .................... 6.137 Religious groups ........................................................................ 6.142 Shia (Shiite) Muslims ................................................................. 6.142 Ismailis....................................................................................... 6.148 Sikhs and Hindus....................................................................... 6.150 Converts and Christians ............................................................ 6.163 Mixed marriages ........................................................................ 6.170 Freedom of assembly and association ...................................... 6.172 Employment rights....................................................................... 6.176 People trafficking ......................................................................... 6.179 Freedom of movement................................................................. 6.185 Internal flight or relocation.......................................................... 6.190 6.B HUMAN RIGHTS – SPECIFIC GROUPS ................................................ 6.191 Ethnic groups ............................................................................... 6.191 Introduction ................................................................................ 6.191 Pashtuns/Pathans...................................................................... 6.197 Tajiks ......................................................................................... 6.204 Hazaras ..................................................................................... 6.208 Uzbeks and Turkmen................................................................. 6.220 Panjsheris .................................................................................. 6.224 Kuchis ........................................................................................ 6.225 Women .......................................................................................... 6.231 Overview.................................................................................... 6.231 UNHCR/ECRE guidelines.......................................................... 6.239 Violence against women and girls ............................................. 6.242 Single women and widows ........................................................ 6.262 Legal provisions and access to the law ..................................... 6.270 Women’s participation in public life and institutions................... 6.275 Women’s rights activists ............................................................ 6.285 Women’s participation in the 2004 and 2005 elections