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Amnesty International has welcomed the US military authorities’ reduction of a prison sentence being served by a US army sergeant, who refused to serve in Afghanistan because of his religious beliefs as a Christian.

At his court martial on 14 August 2009, Travis Bishop was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for going absent without leave, suspension of two-thirds of his salary and a bad conduct discharge.

Lt General Robert Cone, commanding general of Fort Hood in Texas, approved the sentence reduction on 4 February after considering Travis Bishop’s clemency application. His lawyer estimates that he should now be released in late March, taking his good behaviour into account.

Travis Bishop has asked his lawyer to relay this message to the many people who have written letters of support, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and supported me! This is amazing and unprecedented."

Following Travis Bishop’s sentencing, the prison’s military authorities received hundreds of letters appealing for his release. His lawyer has personally thanked Amnesty International members "for all of your help on this case. I think the letters may have made the difference. It is extremely rare to get this much time reduced from a sentence".

Travis Bishop has served in the US army since 2004. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2006 to October 2007. According to his lawyer, he had doubts about taking part in military action since then, but it was only in February 2009, when his unit was ordered to deploy to Afghanistan, that he considered refusing to go.

In the period before he was due to be deployed, Travis Bishop’s religious convictions became stronger, and led him to conclude that he could no longer participate in any war.

Travis Bishop’s sentence was imposed even though the US army was still considering his application for conscientious objector status.

In a statement made at the court-martial, Travis Bishop explained that he discovered he could apply for this status only days before his scheduled deployment to Afghanistan. He went absent without leave on the day of his deployment to give himself "time to prepare for my [conscientious objector] application process".

He was away from his unit for about a week, during which he drafted his application and sought legal advice. He returned voluntarily, and on his return to the unit he submitted his application.

Amnesty International considers Travis Bishop to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his conscientious objection to participate in war.

The organization has recognized as prisoners of conscience a number of US soldiers refusing to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan because of their conscientious objection.

They include Camilo Mejía, who was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for his objection to the armed conflict in Iraq in 2004, and Abdullah Webster, who refused to participate in the same war due to his religious beliefs and was sentenced the same year to 14 months’ imprisonment.

Another, Kevin Benderman, was sentenced in 2005 to 15 months imprisonment after he refused to redeploy to Iraq because of abuses he allegedly witnessed there.

Agustin Aguayo was sentenced in 2007 to eight months’ imprisonment for his refusal to participate in the armed conflict in Iraq. All four have since been released.

Some of these conscientious objectors have been court-martialled and sentenced despite pending applications for conscientious objector status; others were imprisoned after their applications were turned down on the basis that they were objecting to particular wars rather than to war in general.

Amnesty International has called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Parliament to immediately suspend controversial legislation that will give immunity from prosecution for serious violations of human rights, including war crimes and crimes against humanity committed, in the past 30 years.

The legislation, the "National Stability and Reconciliation" bill, was passed by both houses of the Afghan Parliament in early 2007 and published in the official Gazette in November 2008 but, unusually, it was not publicly divulged until January 2010.   

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, including the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), believe that this law is an attempt to provide legal cover for ongoing impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations, including the Taleban.

"The backers of this ‘Impunity Bill’ should note that they cannot simply legislate away the history of gross human rights violations and war crimes committed in Afghanistan over the past three decades. Nor can they silence the consistent demands of the Afghan people for justice and accountability," said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.

"There are real doubts about the legal validity of this ‘Impunity Bill’, as no national legislation can immunize perpetrators of international crimes. Furthermore, President Karzai never signed this bill, and it was only divulged to the public almost two years after Parliament voted on it."

Under this legislation, people who committed serious human rights violations and violations of the laws of war, including massacres, widespread enforced disappearances, and systematic use of torture, rape, public executions and other forms of ill-treatment would be immune to criminal prosecution if they pledge cooperation with the Afghan government.

"The record of the past eight years has been crystal clear: attempts to accommodate human rights abusers have only led to a deterioration of security and an erosion of the government’s legitimacy. Many of the people facing accusations of human rights abuses in the past are now in prominent government posts, facing new charges of engaging in human rights violations," Sam Zarifi said.

Under the provisions of this legislation, Taleban figures who agree to cooperate with the Afghan government would also be immune to prosecution. The Afghan government and its international supporters identified reconciliation with the Taleban as a priority during the London conference in January 2010.

"Short term expediency in the form of reconciliation with the Taleban should not trump the rights of the Afghan people, and in particular Afghan women and girls, who have suffered greatly under the Taleban’s repressive strictures. The Taleban have had a record of terrible human rights abuses, both when they ruled Afghanistan, and now in the areas they control. They should be held to account for their actions, not be granted official impunity," Sam Zarifi said.

"The Afghan people have time and again signalled that they want a government that protects and provides their human rights and that imposes the rule of law. This legislation is simply an effort to pervert the course of justice under the faulty guise of providing security."

Human rights, including women’s rights, must not be traded away or compromised during any reconciliation talks with the Taleban in Afghanistan, Amnesty International said on the eve of a London conference set to discuss deteriorating security conditions in the country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, other leaders and foreign ministers are to discuss security arrangements in Afghanistan for the next two years, including reconciliation programmes to reintegrate so-called moderate elements of Taleban.

"Any discussions with the Taleban must include clear commitments that they will respect and promote the rights of the Afghan people," said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.

"The Taleban established a terrible record of violating human rights during their rule and they have done nothing since then to indicate they will act differently if they return to power."

"The policymakers gathered in London this week have to show that they will not sacrifice the well-being of the Afghan people at the altar of political and military expediency."

Similar deals with the Taleban in neighbouring Pakistan led to increased human rights violations in areas under Taleban control and a significant escalation in conflict and insecurity.

The Afghan government and insurgent groups must both adhere to Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law and domestic law, Amnesty International said.

The Taleban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan have shown little regard for human rights and the laws of war, deliberately targeting civilians, launching indiscriminate suicide attacks in which civilians are killed and engaging in the wholesale destruction of girls’ education.

According to UN figures, the Taleban were responsible for two thirds of the more than 2400 civilian casualties in Afghanistan last year, the bloodiest year yet since the fall of the Taleban.

In areas under their control, the Taleban have severely curtailed the rights of girls and women,  including the denial of education, employment, freedom of movement and political participation and representation.

Afghan civil society groups, in particular women’s groups, have voiced serious alarms about the prospect of ceding any type of political control to the Taleban.

"Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict are a positive step forward," said Sam Zarifi, "but the rights of the Afghan people must never be negotiated away.

"It is our experience that peace without justice or human rights is not real peace and could ultimately lead to further conflict."

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-us-troops-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has called on the US to establish a consistent, clear and credible mechanism to investigate civilian casualties resulting from military operations after President Barack Obama said he would send 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan. br /
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This is now particularly urgent due to the current lack of accountability and transparency within regular US military forces and civilian intelligence agencies, as well as private contractors. br /
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quot;Recent efforts by the US and NATO forces to minimise civilian casualties are a step forward but the US government must ensure that any troops who violate Afghan civilians’ human rights are held to account,quot; said Madhu Malhotra, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. quot;More US troops must not lead to more harm to Afghan civilians.quot;nbsp; nbsp;br /
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Amnesty International said that it recognises that anti-government groups, including the Taleban, are responsible for the majority of civilian casualties and injuries. The organization said that this does not diminish the responsibility to offer support to those injured by Afghan and NATO/US forces and to bring those suspected of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law to justice. br /
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Respect for international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law by all parties involved is a prerequisite to bringing security to Afghanistan. br /
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Clearer chains of command and rules of engagement that abide by international law must be established for all forces to ensure the safety of Afghan civilians. br /
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Without a clear sense of who is involved in these operations it is impossible for victims and their families to make complaints, inquire about investigations, and ultimately seek justice.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has urged Afghanistan’s newly re-elected President Hamid Karzai to prioritize human rights and the rule of law in his second term in order to strengthen the country’s stability and security. br /
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quot;Afghans from around the country continue to tell us that they suffer from poor governance, endemic corruption, a weak and inept justice system and lack of respect for human rights and rule of law,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. quot;All these factors weaken support for the government and its international allies.quot;br /
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Amnesty International noted that the recent presidential elections were marred by human rights abuses by the candidates as well as the Taleban’s increasing attacks against civilians. The organization raised concerns that the upcoming parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for August or September 2010, faced potentially even greater human rights violations as well as Taleban violence.br /
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quot;Government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations and war crimes are enjoying blatant impunity. Many are also widely believed to be involved in corruption and criminal activities, but are rarely held accountable,quot; said Sam Zarifi.br /
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quot;In order to rebuild the trust of the Afghan people and the international community, government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations must be kept out of the election process and held to account.quot;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has urged Afghanistan’s newly re-elected President Hamid Karzai to prioritize human rights and the rule of law in his second term in order to strengthen the country’s stability and security. br /
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quot;Afghans from around the country continue to tell us that they suffer from poor governance, endemic corruption, a weak and inept justice system and lack of respect for human rights and rule of law,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. quot;All these factors weaken support for the government and its international allies.quot;br /
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Amnesty International noted that the recent presidential elections were marred by human rights abuses by the candidates as well as the Taleban’s increasing attacks against civilians. The organization raised concerns that the upcoming parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for August or September 2010, faced potentially even greater human rights violations as well as Taleban violence.br /
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quot;Government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations and war crimes are enjoying blatant impunity. Many are also widely believed to be involved in corruption and criminal activities, but are rarely held accountable,quot; said Sam Zarifi.br /
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quot;In order to rebuild the trust of the Afghan people and the international community, government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations must be kept out of the election process and held to account.quot;

The Obama administration should revise its detention policies in Afghanistan to make them consistent with international law, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch have said. br /
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The United States military is hosting the media and some non-governmental organizations today at its recently constructed but empty detention facility in Parwan province, Afghanistan.br /
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The three organizations urged the US to end arbitrary detention in Afghanistan and to fully align US detention practices with international law.br /
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The organizations noted that the US has made some recent changes in its detention policy in Afghanistan. These include providing detainees with ldquo;notice of the basis of their internmentrdquo; and the right to call witnesses and question government witnesses. br /
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ldquo;Itrsquo;s common knowledge that Afghans perceive US detention operations as secretive and lacking in due process,rdquo; said Sahr Muhammed Ally, Senior Associate at Human Rights First.nbsp; ldquo;The US must remedy this problem and take the critical step of bringing its detention practices into an appropriate legal framework that is consistent with international and Afghan law, and allows and provides detainees with a sufficient way to challenge their detention. Such reforms are a necessary precondition to establishing long-term stability in Afghanistan through the rule of law.rdquo;br /
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The three organizations urged the US and Afghan governments to take further steps immediately. In particular, the three organizations urged the US and Afghanistan to enter into a public agreement that spells out grounds and procedures for US detentions that are consistent with international and Afghan law.br /
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A US domestic law, the Authorization for Use of Military Force, is currently being used as the basis for the detentions on Afghan soil.br /
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It is inadequate because it fails to recognize that all persons held in Afghanistan are entitled to the legal protection of Afghan domestic law and international human rights law, regardless of whether they are in the physical control of the Afghan government or a foreign government.br /
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All detainees in Afghanistan are entitled to minimum protections, including the right to legal counsel and to be able to challenge the legal and factual basis for the detention before an independent and impartial tribunal. The US reforms still fall short of providing detainees with those rights. br /
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ldquo;President Obama has taken some steps to sort out the mess created by the Bush administration,rdquo; said Rachel Reid, Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch. rdquo;But US will have a lot more credibility encouraging the Afghan government to respect the rule of law if it reforms its own detention practices.rdquo;br /
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The US should provide transparency in its detention operations by allowing private access to detainees by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which is legally mandated to visit places of detention on Afghan soil, and by international human rights organizations, the three groups said. br /
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The International Committee of the Red Cross does visit detainees being held in long-term detention by the United States, but their findings are confidential. br /
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The US should also facilitate observation of the new detainee review board proceedings by Afghan and international human rights groups. br /
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Similar detainee review processes conducted by the US in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay fell far short of international legal standards. br /
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ldquo;The Bagram detention facility serves as a symbol of the US operating outside a proper legal framework in Afghanistan,rdquo; said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Asia-Pacific director. br /
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ldquo;Given the real problems with the existing Afghan judicial system, the US and Afghan governments must immediately begin to establish a long-term solution that respects the right of the detainees to have their cases heard in a court of law, and to be set free if they are not found guilty of a criminal offense.rdquo;br /
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img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-kunduz-100.jpg alt= title= /br/The German government should immediately launch a credible, transparent investigation into a 4 September airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that killed scores of people, many of them civilians, Amnesty International said on Thursday.br /
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The German military said on Thursday that NATOrsquo;s investigation suggested the airstrike, which targeted two fuel tanker trucks that had been hijacked by Taleban fighters five hours earlier, was appropriate even though it led to civilian casualties.br /
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Amnesty internationalrsquo;s investigation into the Kunduz incident suggests that the laws of war may have been violated during the airstrike.br /
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quot;An urgent and transparent investigation needs to be launched by the German government into what happened in Kunduz. NATO, and the German government, must show accountability for the loss of civilian life and prove that it has the will and mechanism in place to investigate civilian casualties,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of mnesty Internationalrsquo;s Asia-Pacific programme.br /
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According to the German military, NATOrsquo;s investigation could not verify the exact number of casualties. Village elders from the area told Amnesty International in Kunduz that 142 people had been killed in the attack, of which at least 83 were civilians. The Taleban killed one of the tanker drivers during the hijacking, according to Afghan security officials.br /
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The German Ministry of Defence stated that it would analyze the NATO report and consider further action as necessary.br /
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Amnesty International gathered eyewitness testimonies from survivors of the attack, as well as interviews with Mohammed Razaq Yaqoobi, the local chief of police, UN officials, and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.br /
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quot;The Taleban again disregarded the lives of Afghan civilians by putting them in the line of fire,quot; Sam Zarifi said. quot;But that doesnrsquo;t absolve NATO from taking the utmost feasible precautions to ensure that it minimizes harm to civilians.quot;br /
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The Taleban control many of the villages in the area surrounding the airstrike. Residents of nearby Taleban-controlled village, AmerKhiel, were invited to take away fuel from the tankers after the tankers were stuck while crossing the Kunduz river.br /
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The organisationrsquo;s research shows that NATO did not provide civilians in the area with effective warning that they were going to launch an attack, endangering the lives of people in the area.br /
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In some circumstances, NATO aircraft in Afghanistan fly close to targets or shoot warning rounds to get civilians away from a potential target. Eyewitnesses to the attack told Amnesty International that they did not see NATO aircraft engage in any warning action prior to the Kunduz airstrike.br /
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A local villager Omera Khan told Amnesty International that quot;The Germans could have responded differently to the hijacking and prevented the civilian casualties. People were there to take the free fuel offered by the Taleban and at the time of the attack there was no warning.quot;br /
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quot;NATO has been trying to improve the protection of civilians with its recently issued Tactical Directive, and we welcome this, but it still has not provided a credible accountability mechanism for redress.quot; said Sam Zarifi. quot;Immediately, NATO should publicize its report.quot;br /
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In 2009 Afghanistan has suffered the highest level of civilian casualties since the fall of the Taleban in 2002. quot;All sides to the conflict must take every possible precaution to spare civilian lives. Civilians must not be made to pay the price for unlawful conduct on either side. All violations of international human rights and humanitarian law must be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible for them must be bought to justice, quot; said Sam Zarifi.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-kabul-un-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Amnesty International has condemned the Taleban’s attack on a guesthouse hosting staff from the United Nations in Kabul on Wednesday, that killed at least six civilian UN staff.
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The Taleban took responsibility for the incident and threatened more such attacks in the run up to the second round of the highly contested presidential elections, scheduled for 7 November.
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The attack is the worst on the UN in Afghanistan since the United States and its allies helped oust the Taleban in 2001.
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In a public statement on Wednesday, Amnesty International reminded the Taleban that attacks targeting civilians constitute war crimes.br /
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The organization said that if, as the Taleban suggest, this attack is part of a strategy of widespread or systematic attacks on the civilian population, carried out in pursuit of the Taleban’s policy of disrupting the upcoming elections, this attack could also constitute a crime against humanity.
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War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes under international law. Amnesty International said that the Taleban must immediately end such attacks.br /
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Those suspected of carrying the attacks out or ordering them must be brought to justice.
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Millions of Afghans remain dependent on international assistance for basic needs such as food, water, healthcare and education.br /
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The attack on the UN significantly harms the already constrained ability of aid workers to assist Afghans, particularly those in conflict-affected areas in the countryrsquo;s south and east.
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img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/The Afghan government and its international supporters must immediately set out a clear and effective plan to ensure a credible second round of presidential election voting, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. br /
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The Afghanistan Independent Election Commission scheduled a run-off vote between the two leading candidates for 7 November after widespread fraud was found to have taken place in the first round.br /
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ldquo;The Afghan government and its international partners now have a very short window to show that they have learned from the mistakes of the last elections. They ignored clear early warnings of human rights violations surrounding the election campaign, including attacks on the media and political activists and the result was the rampant fraud now documented by the Electoral Complaints Commission during the elections,rdquo; said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International. quot; br /
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quot;One of the key steps the government must immediately take is reform of the electoral system, including the election commission, to minimize political interference and to allow proper monitoring of the vote: before, during, and after balloting.rdquo;br /
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ldquo;These steps will be all the more important as Afghanistan faces parliamentary elections next year, where the possibility of fraud, intimidation and violence is much greater than in the presidential elections.rdquo;br /
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Following the first round of voting on August 20, initial results saw President Hamid Karzai claim 55 per cent of the vote while his challenger Abdullah Abdullah won 28 per cent, according to official sources and monitors.br /
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After a recount Karzai was found to have won 48 per cent and Abdullah 32 per cent.br /
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Amnesty International received evidence of at least 20 cases of intimidation, harassment and violence against Afghan journalists and media organisations as they reported on suspected cases of electoral fraud or irregularities. br /
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Amnesty International also received reports of intimidation and harassment against electoral workers and election monitors by Afghan government officials and affiliates of powerful candidates, including Karzai and Abdullah.br /
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ldquo;Whatever happens in the second round of voting, what is essential is that the Afghan people have a real chance to form and articulate their views and to cast their ballots free of intimidation and violence,rdquo; said Sam Zarifi.br /
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Amnesty International also called on the US military and Nato forces to immediately clarify how they will provide security before and during the elections. International forces are in effect responsible for security in most of Afghanistan, and particularly in southern Afghanistan where most allegations of fraud appeared. br /
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quot;The Taleban and other insurgent groups engaged in a campaign of violence to disrupt the elections and frighten potential voters. Millions of Afghans braved these attacks to vote, and before they are asked to take such a risk again they should be told how they will be protected,quot; Zarifi said. nbsp;br /
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img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his chief election rival, Abdullah Abdullah, must stop their supporters intimidating journalists and monitors reporting on allegations of fraud during the country’s recent presidential elections, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.br /
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Since the 20 August polls, Amnesty International has received evidence of at least 20 cases of intimidation, harassment and violence against Afghan journalists and media organizations as they reported on suspected cases of electoral fraud or irregularities.br /
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Amnesty International has also received reports of intimidation and harassment against electoral workers and election monitors by Afghan government officials and affiliates of powerful candidates.br /
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quot;Millions of Afghan women and men cast their votes on 20 August despite the serious insecurity and the threats by the Taleban and armed groups, choosing to express their will through ballots and hoping for a better future,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.br /
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quot;As uncertainty around the outcome continues, harassment of journalists and monitors further erodes the credibility and legitimacy of the election and undermines the people’s votes.quot;br /
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Amnesty International has received credible reports of cases of intimidation against journalists particularly in Kabul, Herat, Baghlan, Kapisa, Mazar-e- Sharif and Parwan provinces.br /
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Rahimullah Samander, head of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists’ Association told Amnesty International that journalists who report on electoral irregularities and fraud have been accused of favouring rival candidates by supporters of Karzai and Abdullah.br /
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quot;All candidates, and in particular the top contenders, Karzai and Abdullah, have to show that they are committed to following Afghan law and basic human rights such as the media’s freedom to report,quot; Zarifi said.br /
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An Afghan activist who monitored the presidential elections and post-electoral processes, including ballot counting, told Amnesty International a cabinet minister had threatened him on the telephone on several occasions after he spoke to local media about electoral fraud and voting irregularities by Karzai supporters.br /
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quot;The minister threatened to kill me if I dare to criticize the president for fraud next time,quot; the activist told Amnesty International.br /
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Amnesty International calls on the Afghan government to carry out independent investigation on the cases of intimidation and harassment of the journalists, electoral workers and observers and ensure that their freedom to express information is not violated.br /
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quot;A key role for the media is to act as a watchdog on the government, particularly at a time when there is great uncertainty and allegations of fraud swirling about the presidential elections,quot; Zarifi said.br /
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quot;Unless drastic steps are taken to overcome the problems seem in this election, the upcoming parliamentary elections are likely to be worse,quot; Zarifi said.br /
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The preliminary results from the Afghanistan’s recent presidential elections, held on 20 August, show incumbent president Hamid Karzai winning 54.6 percent of the vote.br /
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However, a series of allegations of voting fraud and ballot stuffing particularly raised against President Karzai have led to an electoral crisis in the country and criticism of countries providing security and financial support for the election process.br /
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The Election Complaints Commission has ordered 10% of the votes to be recounted.

Villagers in Afghanistan describe the loss of family members to visiting journalists and ex-soldiers returning to the region.

With waning public support, a recent presidential election marred in controversy, and a confidential military assessment leaked to the press in recent weeks,…

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-bagram-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
The USA must grant all detainees held in US custody at the Bagram
airbase in Afghanistan access to US courts and legal counsel, as they
remain unable to challenge the lawfulness of their detention in an
independent and impartial court in Afghanistan, Amnesty International
said on Wednesday.br /
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The US government revealed updated administrative review procedures for
detainees at Bagram in a legal document filed on Monday, as it
continued its bid to prevent any of the detainees from challenging
their detention in a US court.br /
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Amnesty International has also urged the US government to allow
detainees access to their relatives, doctors, and to consular
representatives without delay.br /
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There are currently about 600 detainees held at the base, the majority Afghan nationals.nbsp; Some have been held for years. They are held without access to legal counsel or to any court. br /
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The US should also assist the Afghan government in creating mechanisms
to ensure fair trials for those in detention, Amnesty International
urges.br /
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Washington and Kabul should consider the option of mixed
national/international tribunals to try those apprehended in
counter-insurgency operations by Afghan as well as US and other
international forces.
br /
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strongFor further information, see:
/strong
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img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Millions of Afghans voted despite serious insecurity and tremendous logistical challenges, registering their commitment to a better life and to replacing bullets with ballots. br /
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But as Afghan officials and the international community grapple with an ongoing election crisis amid allegations of fraud, Afghans face a rising tide of violence and violations of their human rights. br /
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The August 20 poll was held amid an escalation in attacks by the Taleban and other insurgent groups, and violence involving NATO forces and the US military, leading to in the highest civilian casualties since the fall of the Taleban in 2002. br /
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The Taleban and other insurgent groups are responsible for the majority (about 60%) of conflict-related civilian deaths in Afghanistan. br /
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On August 26, an explosion ripped through the centre of Kandahar city just after nightfall, killing at least 43 people and wounding 65. br /
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A few days later, Taleban fighters burned down a girls’ secondary school in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. br /
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Attacks in Kabul and in the relatively quiet north have also increased. br /
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Three people were killed on September 6 when rockets, believed to have been launched by insurgent groups, slammed into a home in northwestern Kabul. br /
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Increased insurgent activity also means more responses by NATO and the US military, putting more and more civilians at risk . br /
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NATO and US forces have recently restated their commitment to minimising civilian casualties, but there is still no coherent, credible, clear system of investigation and accountability for violations of the laws of war and the rules of engagement. br /
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The election also highlighted ongoing rights challenges and opportunities for Afghan women. br /
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Two women entered the presidential race this year and 333 entered the provincial council elections, accounting for roughly 10% of council candidates.br /
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Election officials say hundreds of polling stations for women did not even open in some areas where insurgents threatened women against exercising their right to vote.br /
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According to a report by the European Union, there was a small increase in womenrsquo;s participation as candidates, but in nearly 50% of provinces, womenrsquo;s participation decreased.br /
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But in what appears to be part of post election efforts at conciliation, Hamid Karzai, the incumbent president, has signed a long-awaited law criminalising violence and various forms of discrimination against women. br /
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And earlier this week, he pardoned Parwiz Kambaksh, a university student who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for reportedly downloading an article about womenrsquo;s rights in Islam. br /
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These moves have raised hopes for Afghans that the next Afghan administration mdash;whether it is Karzai or his chief rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullahmdash;will do more to meet the demand of Afghans for a better life and better government, at least in government-controlled areas. br /
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Afghans around the country have repeatedly told Amnesty International of their disappointment about the failure of the Afghan government to build on the human rights improvements delivered after the fall of the Taleban. br /
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A student at Kabul Universityrsquo;s law school told Amnesty staff, ldquo;I can see more division based on ethnicity amongst my class mates already. This is not a good situation, one side will have to lose and that group could cause a lot of problems.rdquo;br /
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The government, as well as NATO and US military strategists, now recognise that the Taleban have been able to use this failure to argue that they will at least provide basic security, even if they do not respect human rights. nbsp;br /
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One of the most criticised aspects of the governmentrsquo;s performance has been the involvement of figures facing serious allegations of human rights violations over the past two decades of conflict in Afghanistan. br /
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Unfortunately, both Karzai and Abdullah have surrounded themselves with some of those accused of these violations. br /
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As we await the final outcome of the Afghan elections, one message is absolutely clear: that the Afghan people want to have a voice in their future and that they seek a responsible, responsive, representative government. br /
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They seek international support to assist them in this struggle, but neither they, nor the international community, will put up with the current political impasse indefinitely. br /
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Whoever the next president of Afghanistan is, he, and his international supporters, have to place the rights of the Afghan people at the heart of their Afghanistan strategy.br /
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emBy Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International Asia Program Director /embr /
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