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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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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.