UNITED NATIONS, Feb 03 (APP): “Torture and ill-treatment” of detainees persist in Afghan prisons, with nearly a third of those accused of security and terrorism-related allegations subjected to abuse, a new United Nations report said Wednesday.
The report, released jointly by UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Geneva-headquartered UN Human Rights Office, concluded that the percentage of detainees who had been tortured had fallen slightly over the 15 months to March 2020 to 30.3% from 31.9% in the previous two years, but remained “alarming”.
For the report, U.N. officials interviewed a total of 656 detainees, held in 63 government facilities across the country, between January 2019 and March 2020, when physical detention visits were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The alleged torture included beatings, suffocation, and electric shocks. The U.N. says 30% of those interviewed provided “credible and reliable” accounts of abuse and mistreatment.
“Torture can never be justified. It has lasting consequences for victims, their families and society,” Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement.
“I recognize the efforts made by some Government Ministries and Institutions, but much more needs to be done to bring this practice to an end. In particular, perpetrators must be held accountable,” she said. “This would increase confidence in the rule of law and can be a contributing factor towards peace.” said the envoy,
According to UNAMA, the report looks only at government facilities and not those of the Taliban or other anti-government elements, due to lack of access.
The percentage of credible allegations of incidents of torture and ill-treatment committed by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) was recorded at 30.3 per cent, down from 31.9 percent for 2017-2018.
Allegations of torture in Afghan National Police (ANP) custody was 27.2 per cent, a decrease from the previously recorded 31.2 per cent.
A reduction in allegations of torture in National Directorate of Security (NDS) custody from 19.4 to 16 per cent was noted.
Notwithstanding the incremental progress and efforts made by the Government of Afghanistan, it remains a matter of serious concern that more than 30 per cent of all interviewees provided credible and reliable reports of torture and ill-treatment, the report said.
Some sharp regional differences are noted in the number of allegations made by detainees.
There was a particularly high number of allegations of torture and ill-treatment concerning the ANP in Kandahar, with 57.7 per cent of complaints. The report also noted the disturbing reports of enforced disappearances allegedly linked to the ANP in Kandahar.
The report states that there remains considerable scope for improvement to safeguarding those rights.
For example, in almost no instance of detention either by the ANP or NDS, were detainees informed of their rights, able to access a lawyer, or went through medical examination, prior to questioning by officials.
Detainees’ ability to contact their families in early days after their arrests remained low, with 27.2 per cent in ANP custody and 19.7 per cent in NDS custody.
Among further concerns are that nearly half of all persons detained by the ANP and NDS assert that they were asked to sign or thumbprint a document without knowing its content.
The report expresses particular concern with the practice of solitary and incommunicado detention in NDS custody.
In addition to other measures, UNAMA recommends the creation of an independent national preventive mechanism on torture described in the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
Such a dedicated mechanism would have the authority and enhanced capacity and expertise to inspect all detention facilities, conduct follow up investigations and make detailed technical recommendations on prosecution of perpetrators and remedial measures.
Establishing such a mechanism would require concerted and sustained support from the Afghan Government and the international community, it said.
