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17 July 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Afghanistan_Awaiting_for_Justice.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) Statement of Afghanistan Watch on the International Criminal Justice Day
This year for the first time in world history, 17 July is celebrated as International Criminal Justice Day. The day More...
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18 July 2010 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Press-Release-Access-to-Information-Campaign---18-07-10-_English_-1.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) 17 civil society actors, representing more than 200 civil society organisations, and several media organisations, unite before the approaching Kabul Conference to ask the Afghan Government to pass More...
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10 December 2009 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/pic_0030.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) Statement of Afghanistan Watch on the 10th of December
the Universal Human Rights Day and Victims Day in Afghanistan
The 10th of December is the Universal Day of Human Rights and officially More...
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05 April 2009 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/pic_0016.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) President Karzai has recently signed Qanon-e Ahwal-e Shakhsiah Ahl-e Tashaio’a, or the Law on Private Matters of the Shiites, a new legislation dealing with the private matters of the Shiite More...
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@quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Newsletter_34_English.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) Haqiqat 34 contains news from Afghan print media with following details:
Peace and Reconciliation with the Taliban: Sayed Yusuf Reza Gilani, the More...
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@quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Newsletter_33_English.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) Haqiqat 33 contains news from Afghan print media with following details:
Reconciliation and peace talks with the Taliban: The investigation into the More...
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19 December 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/ICC_Meeting_2011.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) Speech of Director of Afghanistan Watch for the 10th Session of Assembly of States Parties (ASP), United Nation Head Quarter, December 16, 2011-New York
Distinguished members of the Assembly of More...
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13 September 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Research-training-for-women.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) For increasing research capacities inside the country, a 10 day theoretical training program called” research training for women” was conducted by Afghanistan Watch in Kabul. The training was More...
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02 June 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Mazar_Conference.JPG@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) The “Consultation Conference with Civil Society Organizations and Victims of Mazar –e Sharif 1377 Massacre” was the title of another conference conducted by Afghanistan Watch at the regional More...
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26 May 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Kabul-Conference.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) The “Consultation Conference with Civil Society Organizations and Victims of February 10, 1993 Massacre in Afshar, Kabul” was the title of a conference conducted by Afghanistan Watch in its More...
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02 May 2011 @quality=90@image=/images/stories/Article_Image/Herat-Conference.jpg@docroot=/home/content/w/a/t/watchafghan/html) On Monday, May 2, 2011 Afghanistan Watch organized a Consultation Conference with Victims of 24 Hut Uprising of March 1979 and Civil Society organizations based in Herat. The event was held at the More...
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Justice Is Permanent Not Transitional
The following is the text of an interview with Dr.Ramazan Bashardost, a leading presidential candidate and a former minister of planning.
Bashardost: Killing does not end in Afghanistan by killing. Hanging with hanging or torture with torture can not end in Afghanistan. Some one says he has tortured my child so I also should torture him. It is important that the criminals feel sorry for their deeds publicly through radio and television. The destructions should be compensated. Then we must decide whether the family of victims want the trial of culprits or forgive them.
Transitional justice:
Q: What is your definition of transitional justice?
A: As Ms. Sima Samar and others gave detail of “transitional justice”, but I said No. Justice is permanent it is not transitional. I do not pay much attention to the program of transitional justice made by UNAMA and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). In my point of view justice must be in a way that king and beggar should be equal before law. If the king commits crime he should he held accountable. If a beggar commits crime he should be held accountable. If I win I will ask the people of Afghanistan what to do in this regard? Two ways are experienced so far in the world: One in South Africa at the time of Mandela. Second approach was experienced in Nuremberg, Hague, Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia. What ever option the people of Afghanistan choose; Nelson Mandela’s or Nuremberg, I will do that. I am not a dictator to decide.
Q: According a consultation with 6000 Afghans, the people demand prosecution of war criminals. What is your opinion?
A: Killing does not end in Afghanistan by killing. Hanging with hanging or torture with torture can not end in Afghanistan. Some one says he has tortured my child so I also should torture him. It is important that the criminals feel sorry for their deeds publicly through radio and television. The destructions should be compensated. Then we must decide whether the family of victims want the trial of culprits or forgive them.
Q: In your way what is the relationship between justice and reconciliation?
A: Justice and security are connected to each other like a chain. If I occupy office as president at 10:00, at 10:30 all those who are accused of crime and felony will be suspended from whether they are ministers, district governors or officers. If they are sitting on their official seat, they must stand up as they hear their suspension order from radio. The Interior Ministry will be ordered not to let a single of them leave the country. A mobile court will be established from those judge and lawyers who have no part in crimes and their lives will be guaranteed even the life of their grandson. The judge must start his work with fairness including defense for the accused. . If the accused was unable to pay money for lawyer, the government will pay for him. Whatever it may be, the outcome of the trial will be enforced.
Q: One of the challenges of your government may be that human rights violators join the opposition?
A: Under Bashardost, 99 percent of Afghans will see their lives bright and full of joy. The remaining 500 individuals who have turned the lives of Afghans gloomy will have no option to resist. Will they go to Panjsher? They do not have body guards or land cruisers. I will tell residents of Panjsher, if they come there that you have the choice to take them to graveyard or as a guest to your house. Bashar Dost favors justice not execution or hanging.
Q: Has the Peace Commission established by Karzai been successful in brining peace?
A: The real factor is war not peace. They should answer where they spent billions of dollars that came to Afghanistan. They should answer that they had part in killing and massacring and issuing Fatwa (religious decree) against anti-government forces. They are the government mercenaries and Mullahs. If Taliban get the power they will slaughter them from the back of their heads.
Q: What is your opinion about the National Amnesty Bill passed by the Parliament?
A: I said at that time that they would gain a bad name with no good result. No one has the right to forgive the rights of people. God says, I can forgive my right, but not the right of people. When God has no authority then how the members of parliament have got the power? It is against the Constitution and Islamic teachings.
Q: What is your definition of peace and reconciliation?
A: I do not favor the peace by Stalin and Hitler that makes graveyard from societies.
Q: What is your plan for bringing security and lasting peace if you win the elections?
A: I have 52-article program that is published.
Election Transparency:
Q: Will we have fair and transparent election?
A: Yes we do. The results provided by members of commission after they visited 27 provinces and the result of Obama’s cooperation, compared to Republicans that still want to support the orphans of George Bush in Afghanistan, and are satisfactory. .
Negotiation with the Anti Government Forces:
Q: Some of the candidates have promised to talk with Taliban and Hezb-e Islami. What is your opinion in this regard?
A: All the candidates except me say they will negotiate with Taliban and will give to them posts like ministry and governor. The only candidate who does not talk of negotiation, dealings and seat is me. I have asked the candidates that will Mullah Omar negotiate with you in these suits and ties from which drops of Taliban blood are falling? Certainly “Not”. I only know “Afghans”. For me Hazara, Uzbek, Afghan, Tajik, Khalq and Parcham, Talib all are Afghans. Government is not one to divide between this and that.
Corruption:
Q: What is the man factor behind corruption in the current government?
A: There are two types of corruption: Bribe in dollars and bribe in Afghani.
Those who take bribe are also of two kinds: first, the poor class of the society who can not buy bread with his money. We should feel pity on him and provide him good salary with land and house. The next group is the miser ones. Their desires can not be fulfilled however you give them. They should be punished. I will suspend all those who take bribe from the day I take the power.
Q: What is exactly your plan for fighting corruption?
A: Good salary for teachers, government employees and governors, opening of hoarded reserves, health insurance and educational scholarship. Salary taking officials will be suspended from their positions and a special mobile court will be formed to deal with these cases. Whatever the violators have violated or stored in any part of the world must be returned back to the national treasury.
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Based in Kabul, the Afghanistan Watch focuses on activities that promote justice, respect for human rights and a culture of accountability and transparency in the country. Recognizing the need for greater understanding of the perils and opportunities facing Afghanistan today, the organization aims to conduct in-depth research and publish reports and papers on issues relevant to its goals and values independently or in partnership with other national and international organizations. Sign up below if you wish to receive our publications and news about our programmes, events and other relevant developments. Required * |
| Looking Back: An Afghanistan Watch Analysis of the Voting Patterns in the First Parliament |
What lessons can be drawn from the first parliamentary cycle? What voting patterns and political alignments have developed in the parliament? What ideas, ideologies and powers have been at play when the parliament voted for the Mass Media Law, the National Reconciliation Charter or the Higher Education Law? These are some of the questions addressed in Afghanistan Watch’s report ‘The First Experience - Voting Patterns and Political Alignments in the Wolesi Jirga 2005-2010’. Sari Kouvo, AAN Co-Director, takes a closer look at the research conducted by Afghanistan Watch and funded by AAN |
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| Asia Speech for General Debate |
Speech of Jalil Benish for the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC Distinguished members of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: My name is Jalil Benish of Afghanistan Watch from Kabul, Afghanistan, speaking on behalf of my colleagues in the Coalition for the ICC- Asia-Pacific. We are witnessing a definite trend towards accountability for the most serious crimes in the Asia Pacific – a region that has seen horrible atrocities being committed in the past and present and yet is one of the most underrepresented before the ICC. Of the six ratifications for 2011, three of them – the Philippines in Southeast Asia, Maldives in South Asia and Vanuatu in the Pacific – are in Asia-Pacific, bringing to a total of 17 the states parties to the ICC from the region. On this occasion, we would also like to commend the government of Malaysia for having completed the necessary steps within the domestic level for accession to the Rome Statute, and call on it promptly deposit its instrument of accession, thus bringing to 18 the total number of states parties in the region. Website link: Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) |
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Read More| Afghans campaign amid warzone |
Aljazeera A report released this month by the Afghanistan Watch organisation and funded by the Afghan Analysts Network characterised parliament as being wracked by continual ethnic and sectarian fights, throwing obstacles in front of processes such as approving effective cabinet nominees. The report quoted Kabir Ranjbar, a member of parliament, as saying that "the approaches based on ethnicity, language and religion have been a main point of the Wolesi Jirga’s weakness and the main factor for approval of the incapable and inefficient ministers. If the [members of parliament] had considered the national interests during the process of confidence voting for the cabinet nominees, the consequent confusions would have been prevented." |
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| Impunity and Instability: An Unbroken Cycle |
Middle East Institute Viewpoints: Afghanistan, 1979-2009: In the Grip of Conflict • www.mei.edu By: Abdul Jalil Benish, director of Afghanistan Watch Impunity in Afghanistan is like an unwritten law which benefits the wealthiest and most powerful criminals. |
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| Relevance of the ICC in the Context of Afghanistan |
Niamatullah Ibrahimi, Co-Founder of Afghanistan Watch writes on The Relevance of the ICC in the Context of Afghanistan in the ICC Monitor, the Journal of the Coalition of the International Criminal Court The relevance of the ICC has been keenly felt in Afghanistan since 2001. During this period, human rights violations have continued unabated, a culture of impunity and lack of accountability has been further entrenched, and the Afghan state has displayed a chronic lack of commitment to hold accountable those responsible for heinous crimes and massive human rights abuses. |
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