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Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2022 14:43:49 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_NORTHEAST_SA <sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Message-ID: <kUaKoSkTSSe2Ccoa31GQnw@geopod-ismtpd-2-2>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= BADAKHSHAN: IEA Arrest NGO
 Staff Members
To: Naseer Ahmad Gulzai <gulzai@jack.ngo>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN' 'http://www.w3.org=
/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd'><html><body><head><meta name=3D'viewport'=
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enter><table width=3D"580" style=3D" width: 580px;  border:1px solid #C1C2C=
4; margin: 0 auto; background: #fff; text-align: center; border-collapse: c=
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				This report is for the exclusive use of INSO partners and must not be s=
hared outside your organisation			</td>
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									<div><span style=3D"font-size:24.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#5376b6">&nbsp;&nbsp;R=
EPORT</span></div>
									<div><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#182748">&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ATTENTION RECOMMENDED</span></div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Afghanistan, Badakhshan Provinc=
e, Fayz Abad City, PD 3, <a href=3D"https://goo.gl/maps/26nJquJXFid9d78o6">=
Pul-e Kibali</a> Area</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INCIDENT=
 TYPE</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								IEA Arrest NGO Staff Members								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">DATE & T=
IME</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								26/04/2022 14:00								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INFORMAT=
ION</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">On 26 April, around 1400 hrs, I=
EA police forces arrested four individuals at a VCP in Pul-e Kibali area in=
 PD 3 of Fayz Abad City. The suspects were allegedly intoxicated and were c=
arrying two bottles of alcohol in their vehicle. Among them was one off-dut=
y NGO staff member. While the NGO staff member was initially arrested for a=
lcohol consumption and possession, he was taken to the PD 3 headquarters, w=
here the IEA searched his phone for suspicious content. Allegedly, the phon=
e contained communications that the NGO staff member had had with supporter=
s of the former government and individuals the IEA suspected of links with =
OAGs affiliated with the previous government. Additionally, the IEA alleged=
ly also discovered materials and communications of a licentious nature. Fol=
lowing the findings, IEA members physically assaulted the NGO staff member,=
 even though the investigation was still ongoing, and transferred the arres=
ted staff member to GDI for further investigation.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The following day, the IEA police force=
s briefly detained a second staff member of the same NGO, however, he was r=
eleased due to a lack of incriminatory evidence. &nbsp;He was asked to retu=
rn the next day for further questioning, while his passport and national ID=
 were seized. Furthermore, GDI employees visited the NGO worker several tim=
es for further questions, and on one occasion demanded that he to complete =
a form regarding the background and mandate of the NGO.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In a meeting with senior staff of the s=
ame NGO, provincial IEA security forces leadership reassured the NGO that t=
he arrest was not related to the mandate of the NGO or the function of the =
staff member and that the organisation&rsquo;s activities will not be hinde=
red following the incident. Following the meeting with the IEA police force=
s representative, the police forces informed the second NGO employee that h=
e is no longer considered a person of interest and that his identification =
documents will be retrieved in the coming days. However, when the NGO staff=
 member approached the PCOP to collect his identification documents as inst=
ructed he was informed that his passport and national ID are yet to be foun=
d. Meanwhile, the NGO staff worker arrested for alcohol consumption remains=
 in custody at the time of writing.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ANALYSIS=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">While the two staff members had=
 the same employer, the second NGO worker was detained, briefly, only becau=
se of recent communications between the two of them and was not related to =
the mandate of the NGO they were working for. Shortly after the 26 April ar=
rest, the GDI detained an IO employee, reportedly due to contacts with the =
NGO staff member. The IO staff member was released unharmed with no charges=
 filed, although this only took place three weeks after,. While NGOs can an=
d should advocate for their staff members when the later are arrested by th=
e authorities for activities related to the NGOs&rsquo; work, NGOs have lim=
ited options in what they can do when the accusations are unrelated. It is =
more likely a privately driven resolution can be reached, through mediation=
 and guarantees offered by elders or family members.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Arrests of individuals suspected of dri=
nking alcohol are infrequent in the Northeastern Region. Since 15 August 20=
21, the IEA police forces arrested a total of 51 individuals in the Northea=
stern Region for drinking, processing, or trading alcohol. The IEA forces a=
t times seize homemade alcohol, usually under 10 litres, although in one ex=
ceptional case in late April, during a vehicle search at a checkpoint in th=
e Qazi Dahi area of Wakhan District, IEA security forces seized 180 bottles=
 of alcohol.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">While arrests of suspects in connection=
 with alcohol processing and consumption are rare in Badakhshan Province, t=
he local security apparatus reportedly applies more severe punishments comp=
ared to those in other provinces of the Northeastern Region. The IEA police=
 forces keep under arrest culprits accused of alcohol consumption for an av=
erage of one week, following which they release them due to financial chall=
enges, however, local reports suggest the individuals are often physically =
assaulted during their detention. Out of the 16 IEA-led arrest operations I=
NSO logged in the Northeastern Region since 15 August 2021, connected to al=
cohol consumption, processing, or distribution, only three such incidents h=
ave been reported in Badakhshan Province, a potential indication that the r=
umours regarding the physical violence the suspects might be subjected to w=
ork as a deterrent. With regards to the title incident, there is no indicat=
ion that the arrest or an eventual court ruling is influenced by the suspec=
t&rsquo;s place of employment.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">While, to INSO&rsquo;s knowledge, the s=
earch of electronic devices at checkpoints is not a common practice in the =
provinces of the Northeastern Region, such actions are likely to be carried=
 out by the IEA security forces in the case of individuals they arrest rega=
rdless of the motive for which they were brought in. Although IEA officials=
 in some cities explicitly instructed security forces not to search civilia=
ns&rsquo; electronic devices without a reason, such practices continue in m=
ore remote areas, or in the case of suspects the IEA forces detain. While I=
NSO did not record any incident in which the IEA police forces asked the NG=
O staff to justify the documents or assets they carry, information or media=
 content concerning safety plans and mitigation measures might look suspici=
ous to some untrained IEA members, which could lead to additional questioni=
ng, delays in travel times and even brief detentions.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ADVICE</=
div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs should remain aware that a=
ny legal offence, even one that could have previously been perceived as min=
or by some, such as alcohol consumption, entails the risk of detention. Fur=
thermore, should such incidents become reoccurring or concur with other vio=
lations of the IEA-promoted behavioural rules, they may negatively impact h=
umanitarian access and the reputation of NGOs.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are advised to establish and maint=
ain a good relationship with influential members of the local community tha=
t might be able to advocate on their behalf should the situation require it=
.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Even as NGOs cannot control staff behav=
iour outside working hours, NGOs are advised to increase the awareness of t=
heir employees regarding the risks posed by violations of the new IEA socia=
l regulations and the national law. NGOs are further advised to be prepared=
 to engage the IEA authorities and to stress that the organisation is not r=
esponsible for the conduct of employees in their free time and that the org=
anisation acts within the Afghan national law.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp=
;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGO staff members are advised to carefu=
lly consider the contents of their electronic devices ahead of movement as =
they might be considered offensive or suspicious by the IEA security forces=
.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ISSUED B=
Y</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">SA Northeast, Eliade Al-Hamdoun=
i<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><a href=3D"mailto:sa.northeast@afg.ngos=
afety.org">sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org</a></div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INSO SER=
IAL #</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								AFGHANISTAN/NORTHEAST/R/19062022/#001								</div>
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76b6; padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; height:63px; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:'A=
rial', sans-serif; color:white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;=
">
				INSO exists to provide dedicated security services to the NGO community=
. As a free service, INSO and its donors or partners, accept no liability w=
hatsoever for claims as may result from the provision or utilisation of the=
se free services. Whilst every effort is made to the verify data, INSO cann=
ot guarantee the accuracy of information provided. Reproduction of INSO inf=
ormation is prohibited.									<br>
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