Afghan police, courts 'failing women'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 28 March 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan police, courts 'failing women', 28 March 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4f7d6352c.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 28, 2012
Afghanistan's criminal justice system has made little progress in the way it treats women accused of so-called "moral crimes," despite public commitments by President Hamid Karzai to protect women's rights, according to a prominent rights organization.
In a report released on March 28, the New-York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that, 10 years after the fall of the Taliban, women are still being imprisoned for running away from domestic violence or for having sex outside of marriage.
It estimates some 400 Afghan women are currently in jail for so-called "moral crimes."
The report claims President Karzai has "often made compromises that have negatively impacted women's rights."
The report is based on interviews with 58 women who have been jailed, primarily for running away or adultery, as well as prosecutors, judges and nongovernmental organizations.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
