Amnesty International Report 2017/18

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Amnesty International Report 2017/18

In August, a woman named Azadeh was 

shot dead by Taliban members in Jawzjan 

province. According to the governor’s 

spokesman, the woman had fled some 

months earlier to a safe house in Sheberghan 

city due to domestic violence. She returned 

after local mediation, but was then dragged 

from her house and shot by Taliban 

members.

REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY 

DISPLACED PEOPLE

Some 2.6 million Afghan refugees were living 

in more than 70 countries around the world 

during 2017. Around 95% were hosted in 

just two countries, Iran and Pakistan, where 

they faced discrimination, racial attacks, lack 

of basic amenities and the risk of mass 

deportation.

Between 2002 and 2017, more than 5.8 

million Afghans were returned home, many of 

them involuntarily by other governments.

The UN Office for the Coordination of 

Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that some 

437,907 people were displaced by the 

conflict in 2017 alone, bringing the total 

number of internally displaced people (IDPs) 

to more than 2 million. Despite the promises 

made by successive Afghan governments, 

IDPs continued to lack adequate housing, 

food, water, health care and opportunities to 

pursue education and employment. Most 

were forced to make long daily trips to fetch 

water and struggled to obtain one daily meal. 

Most IDPs lacked access to basic health care 

facilities. Private health care was 

unaffordable for most IDPs, and mobile 

clinics, operated by NGOs or the government, 

were only available sporadically.

IDPs also faced repeated threats of forced 

eviction from both government and private 

actors.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Human rights defenders faced constant 

threats to their life and security. In June, at 

least four people were killed when police 

opened fire on demonstrators protesting 

deteriorating security conditions in Kabul 

following a 31 May truck bombing that killed 

more than 150 people. No investigations 

appeared to have been conducted into the 

police shootings. Relatives of the victims 

subsequently staged a sit-in for several weeks 

in Kabul, which the police broke up by force. 

One person was killed and at least five others 

were reported to have been arbitrarily 

detained in a private house and questioned 

by plain-clothes officers before being 

released the next day. In July, the 

government proposed amendments to the 

laws on associations, strikes and 

demonstrations, which would limit the rights 

to freedom of association and expression by 

introducing new restrictions on the 

organization of demonstrations and strikes. 

The proposed amendments would also give 

police enhanced authority to stop or prevent 

demonstrations or strikes, further 

undermining the right to peaceful assembly.

Women human rights defenders continued 

to face threats and intimidation by both state 

and non-state actors across Afghanistan. 

Most cases were not reported to police 

because of lack of trust in the security 

agencies, which consistently failed to 

investigate and address these threats. Some 

who did report threats were not given support 

or protection.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

A string of violent attacks and intimidation 

against journalists, including killings, further 

underlined the steady erosion of freedom of 

expression.

Media freedom watchdog Nai reported more 

than 150 attacks against journalists, media 

workers and media offices during the year. 

These included killings, beatings, detention, 

arson, attacks, threats and other forms of 

violence by both state and non-state actors.

In March, a reporter working for Ariana TV 

in Sar-e-Pul province was beaten by police 

after trying to report on excessive use of force 

against civilians. Officers seized the reporter’s 

camera and other equipment; he sought 

refuge in the governor’s office.

In August, a prominent reporter from Zabul 

province received death threats from Taliban 

members, followed by attempts on his life. 

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Amnesty International Report 2017/18

69

Security officials made little effort to protect 

him after he reported the incidents, and he 

left the province for his safety.

In November, IS fighters attacked 

Shamshad TV’s station in Kabul; one staff 

member was killed and others wounded.

Nai reported that in 2016 it had submitted 

to the authorities at least 240 cases of 

violence against media workers, including 

reporters and journalists. One year later the 

government had taken no action in response 

and no one had been brought to justice.

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

Afghans across the country remained at risk 

of torture and other ill-treatment, with little 

progress towards curbing impunity. The UN 

Committee against Torture found 

“widespread acceptance and legitimation of 

torture in Afghan society”.

Many of those suspected of criminal 

responsibility continued to hold official 

executive positions, including in government. 

The Committee also found that detainees 

held by the National Directorate of Security, 

the Afghan National Police and the Afghan 

Local Police were subject to “beatings, 

electric shocks, suspensions, threats, sexual 

abuse, and other forms of mental and 

physical abuse”. UNAMA and OHCHR 

investigators who had interviewed 469 

detainees said that 39% of them gave 

credible accounts of torture and other ill-

treatment during their arrest and 

interrogation.

In March the government enacted an Anti-

Torture Law, which criminalized torture but 

did not provide for restitution or 

compensation to victims.

Armed groups including the Taliban 

continued to commit crimes under 

international law, including killings, torture 

and other abuses as punishment for 

perceived crimes or offences. The executions 

and severe punishments imposed by the 

parallel justice system amounted to criminal 

acts under the law, and in some 

circumstances could amount to war crimes.

DEATH PENALTY

In a revision to the Penal Code, life 

imprisonment replaced the death penalty for 

some offences.

Five executions were carried out in 

November at Pul-e-Charki prison in Kabul. 

The Ministry of the Interior said that the five 

had been convicted in 2016 of murder and 

kidnapping, and that they had been executed 

despite their sentences being under review 

by three appeal courts.

ALBANIA

Republic of Albania

Head of state: Ilir Meta (replaced Bujar Nishani in July)

Head of government: Edi Rama

Impunity persisted for past killings and 

enforced disappearances. Measures 

protecting women from domestic violence 

were inadequately implemented. Women 

and children were trafficked for forced 

prostitution and labour. Albania’s path to 

EU membership was hindered by slow 

progress in combating corruption and 

organized crime.

BACKGROUND

A political crisis preceded elections in June. 

The opposition Democratic Party, which 

organized street protests in February, 

boycotted the election process until May, 

when an EU and US-supported agreement 

promised them representation in government 

and state agencies. The ruling Socialist Party 

was returned with an increased majority. 

International observers reported incidents of 

voter intimidation and alleged vote-buying.

Under a new mechanism established in 

January, by August 183 people, including 

author Ismail Kadare, applied to access 

secret police files held on them during the 

Communist period. In September, the 

International Commission on Missing Persons 

agreed to assist with the identification of 

bodies recovered from mass graves from the 

same period.

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