AG warns serious action against prisoners’ rights violators
21 February, 2013
KABUL: Warning serious action against people who tortured and ill-treated prisoners, Attorney General Abdul Baseer Azizi has said a team of the attorney general office will start investigations into prisoners torture allegations in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat jails on Wednesday. Talking to Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) Attorney General Abdul Baseer Azizi said the president has given him full power in this regard and those violated the rights of the prisoners would be dealt seriously. "The team will meet prisoners who alleged torture and will register people who tortured or ill-treated the prisoners," he said. Those found guilty during investigations would be arrested and treated as per law of the land, Azizi warned. "No one is allowed to ill-treat or torture the prisoners, either he is attorney general, police, investigation worker or any other personnel of law enforcing agencies," he said. President Hamid Karzai ordered the attorney general office to identify and arrest government officials who allegedly tortured prisoners after a government commission confirmed torture and ill-treatment to prisoners in different Afghan jails. Lal Gul, head of Afghanistan Human Rights Organization, told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that punishment of people who tortured and ill-treated the prisoners will help stop the practice. "It would be a good step if the commission identify and try perpetrators of prisoners torture. We will see with how much sincerity attorney general office complete their work?," he said. He said they were committed to defend the human rights of prisoners and would raise voice against any violation. There are around 25000 prisoners languishing in different jails in Afghanistan in which 600 are women. It is said that beside the prisoners torture allegations, the non-existence of prisons in different provinces is another problem being faced by Afghanistan. End.
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