Political Rights and Freedoms
The National Report on the Joint Verification of Political Rights was released in July 2004 and was the first report by UNAMA and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. It examined political freedoms in Afghanistan and gives a mixed assessment of the ability of the people to exercise their political rights.
Although there are encouraging signs of emerging political pluralism in parts of the north and east, the AIHRC and UNAMA report restrictions on political freedoms in areas of the south and south-east. We are encouraging the Afghan government and provincial governors to ensure that political freedoms, such as the right to form and support political parties and to vote freely, are fully respected.
Transitional Justice
In early 2005 the AIHRC published a report on past human rights violations in Afghanistan, 'A Call for Justice'. This contributed to the debate on transitional justice, which led to the Government of Afghanistan adopting an Action Plan on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.
The Plan demonstrates the Government's determination to deal effectively with alleged historical and ongoing human rights abuses. This is a vital step towards national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and the creation of a human rights culture in Afghanistan.
A Call for Justice (PDF, 642K)
Death Penalty
Afghanistan retains the death penalty under the new Constitution. All death sentences require the approval of the President. A moratorium on executions ended on 20 April 2004 when President Karzai authorised the execution of Abdullah Shah, a militia commander convicted on 20 counts of murder.
We are strongly opposed to the use of the death penalty by any state and have regularly made our views on this subject known to the Afghan Government.
The death penalty was not used again in Afghanistan until the night of 7/8 October 2007, when fifteen Afghan prisoners from Kabul's main prison, Pol-e-Charkhi, were executed by firing squad. All were on death row for serious criminal offences. Such crimes have normally been commuted to life in prison.
The FCO issued a statement on 10 October in response to these executions, outlining the UK's position. Together with our EU partners and Norway, we issued a longer statement on 11 October and the same day there was an EU Troika démarche with Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta.
Tom Koenigs, the then Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, also issued a statement on 8 October reaffirming the UN's concern about the use of the death penalty.
Ratified Human Rights Treaties
Afghanistan has signed and ratified the following international treaties for the protection of human rights (with the dates of ratification):
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (24 April 1983)
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (24 April 1983)
Covenant on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (5 August 1983)
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (4 March 2003) - further information on CEDAW is available here.
Convention Against Torture (26 June 1987)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (27 April 1994), and its optional protocols on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and On the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (24 September 2003)
