UNAMA - Statements by SRSG

The circumstances involving the abuse and inhumane treatment leading to the death of two Afghan prisoners in Bagram in 2002, reported in the New York Times on the basis of a US army investigation, are deeply disturbing. Such abuses are utterly unacceptable and are an affront to everything the international community stands for in Afghanistan. They run counter to the Bonn process, the central goal of which is to restore the rule of law after Afghans were denied their basic human rights for decades.

The gravity of these abuses calls for the punishment of all those involved in such inexcusable crimes, as demanded by President Karzai.

It also calls for firm guarantees that such abuses cannot be committed again, now or at any time in the future. All Afghans in the custody of the state or international forces should enjoy the full protection that international law and the Constitution afford to detainees.

We understand that, since 2002, steps have been taken in Bagram and other facilities to eradicate mistreatment and improve conditions of detention. We urge that such measures be made public without delay; and complaints of arbitrary arrest, detention without charges and treatment of detainees, which continue to be raised, be addressed fully in order to ensure that basic rights are observed in connection with Coalition operations.

The Afghan Judiciary should have a primary role in ensuring that detainees can enjoy the protection of the law, and every effort should be made towards achieving this goal. But special measures are also required. One such measure is the provision of access to prisons, including Coalition facilities, by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

In support of the AIHRC, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, under its mandate to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, will redouble its own verification efforts in regard of military arrests and detentions. In view of the commitment to address abuses shown by the US army investigation, I trust that we will enjoy the full cooperation of the Coalition Forces in this endeavour.

The presence of international forces remains one of the cornerstones of Afghanistan’s security and reconstruction. It is of the utmost importance that it should also serve to protect the exercise of the Afghans’ fundamental human rights.

Kabul, 22 May 2005




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		Statement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan on Afghan Prisoner Abuse by Coalition Forces
		The circumstances involving the abuse and inhumane treatment leading to the death of two Afghan prisoners in Bagram in 2002, reported in the New York Times on the basis of a US army investigation, are deeply disturbing. Such abuses are utterly unacceptable and are an affront to everything the international community stands for in Afghanistan. They run counter to the Bonn process, the central goal of which is to restore the rule of law after Afghans were denied their basic human rights for decades. The gravity of these abuses calls for the punishment of all those involved in such inexcusable crimes, as demanded by President Karzai. It also calls for firm guarantees that such abuses cannot be committed again, now or at any time in the future. All Afghans in the custody of the state or international forces should enjoy the full protection that international law and the Constitution afford to detainees. We understand that, since 2002, steps have been taken in Bagram and other facilities to eradicate mistreatment and improve conditions of detention. We urge that such measures be made public without delay; and complaints of arbitrary arrest, detention without charges and treatment of detainees, which continue to be raised, be addressed fully in order to ensure that basic rights are observed in connection with Coalition operations. The Afghan Judiciary should have a primary role in ensuring that detainees can enjoy the protection of the law, and every effort should be made towards achieving this goal. But special measures are also required. One such measure is the provision of access to prisons, including Coalition facilities, by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). In support of the AIHRC, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, under its mandate to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, will redouble its own verification efforts in regard of military arrests and detentions. In view of the commitment to address abuses shown by the US army investigation, I trust that we will enjoy the full cooperation of the Coalition Forces in this endeavour. The presence of international forces remains one of the cornerstones of Afghanistan’s security and reconstruction. It is of the utmost importance that it should also serve to protect the exercise of the Afghans’ fundamental human rights. Kabul, 22 May 2005 _______________


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