Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Moral Crimes and Self-Immolation

A new report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) says there are about 400 women and girls imprisoned for “moral crimes”. The findings of the report are based on 58 interviews conducted in three prisons and three juvenile detention facilities with women and girls accused of “moral crimes.” These “crimes” include escape from home on forced marriages or domestic violence.

HRW has asked the US and other international community members to pressurize the Government of President Karzai to end the wrongful imprisonment of these women and girls.

Executive Director of HRW Kenneth Roth said: “It is shocking that 10 years after the overthrow of the Taliban, women and girls are still imprisoned for running away from domestic violence or forced marriage. No one should be locked up for fleeing a dangerous situation even if it’s at home. President Karzai and Afghanistan’s allies should act decisively to end this abusive and discriminatory practice.”

According to the report, fleeing home is not a crime under the criminal code in Afghanistan, but Supreme Court has instructed judges to treat such women who escape home due to forced marriages and domestic violence as criminals.

The report says these women and girls face a justice system stacked against them at every stage. Police arrest them solely on a complaint of a husband or relative. Prosecutors ignore evidence that supports women’s assertions of innocence. Judges often convict solely on the basis of “confessions” given in the absence of lawyers and “signed” without having been read to women who cannot read or write. After conviction, women routinely face long prison sentences, in some cases more than 10 years.

Human Rights Watch called on the Government of President Karzai, the US and other countries to ensure these injustices against women are ended and women rights are protected.

The report shows the situation of women rights after ten years of international support in the system run by the Karzai Administration. There is no one to question the entire judicial system that has kept these women imprisoned without any “crime”.

According to another similar alarming report, about 75 percent of self-immolation of women is in Herat. It has been a phenomenon since long, but the latest statistics of shame show that the responsible authorities have not seriously bothered to look into such a tragic trend that has become a pattern.

The reasons for an increasing percentage of self-immolation are similar to the violation of women rights reported by HRW.