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UN concerns over arbitrary detentions in Afghanistan

Other News Materials 26 March 2009 16:13 (UTC +04:00)

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) top human rights official and representative of the Human Rights in Afghanistan Nora Niland said Thursday that her organization is concerned over arbitrary detentions of Afghans, Xinhua reported.
"The UN in Afghanistan today releases a major report on arbitrary detention in the country. The report by UNAMA and office of high commissioner for human rights found that Afghans are often detained without lawful reasons," Niland told reporters in a press conference.
She also said that detainees in many instances do not enjoy basic rights that are enshrined in Afghanistan constitution.
"No Afghan should be detained arbitrarily, every Afghan has a right to justice and dignity. Ensuring that all detention are lawful is vital to instilling public confidence in the judiciary and government institutions as well as in promoting the rule of law." Niland added.
The report, which does not cover conflict-related detentions, highlights that detainees, who usually do not have access to a lawyer, are unable to challenge the legality of their detention before an impartial judge, thus, they could not enjoy the presumption of innocence before being tried in lawful court.

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