KABUL - A veteran human rights campaigner fears that a recently released Afghan warlord could punish the individuals who testified against him.
Following his released from a British jail, Faryadi Sarwar Zardad arrived in Kabul this week to end up in National Directorate of Security (NDS) custody.
In the 1990s, the warlord allegedly abducted and tortured dozens of people on a stretch of road he controlled east of Kabul.
In a landmark case, the first ever held in the UK under universal jurisdiction, Zardad was convicted on the basis of evidence from several individuals.
Senior Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Patricia Gossman, who vouched for the Afghans testifying in the case, believes the “extraordinarily brave” witnesses are in grave danger.
“None of the witnesses have any protection from this man, who retains his supporters and has shown a willingness to commit torture and other crimes,” she wrote in an article.
After detaining Zardad upon arrival in Kabul, the Afghan government freed him on Monday. He may seek revenge against those who put him away in a British prison cell.
The Afghan government should protect the witnesses, impose parole restrictions on Zardad and monitor his compliance, Gossman suggested. (Pajhwok)