(New York, November 27, 2001) -- As delegates gather in Germany to discuss the composition of a transitional government in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch issued a statement setting out key recommendations on human rights, accountability, the political engagement of women, and the reintegration of Afghan refugees.
Afghanistan is at a real crossroads. The delegates in Bonn must choose between a future of continued violence and lawlessness, or one grounded in principles of human rights in which those who commit atrocities are brought to justice. We urge the Bonn representatives to choose the latter.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch
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“Afghanistan is at a real crossroads,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “The delegates in Bonn must choose between a future of continued violence and lawlessness, or one grounded in principles of human rights in which those who commit atrocities are brought to justice. We urge the Bonn representatives to choose the latter.”
Key recommendations from Human Rights Watch include:
Creating an international commission of experts to gather information on current and past human rights abuses and to make recommendations on justice-building measures;
Refusing amnesties for those responsible for the most serious abuses and excluding them from a future government;
Screening out human rights violators from future Afghan military and police forces;
Ensuring women's rights and women’s participation in Afghanistan’s future government; and
Including the issues of refugees and repatriation in political planning.
