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Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2022 10:42:42 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_WEST_SA <sa.west@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Message-ID: <wn1_f2_MTOCvFolfncJJag@geopod-ismtpd-1-2>
Subject: INSO REPORT - AFG - GHOR: IEA Forces Continue to Arrest Civilians
 Suspected of Immoral Relationships Including NGO Workers
To: "Dr. Sayed Musa Musawy" <musawy@jack.ngo>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN' 'http://www.w3.org=
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enter><table width=3D"580" style=3D" width: 580px;  border:1px solid #C1C2C=
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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=
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								Afghanistan, Herat, Ghor, Farah and Badghis provinces								</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;">
								Arrest of Civilians								</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;">
								20/06/2022 12:00								</div>
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								<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 18 June, GDI members arreste=
d an NGO staff member in Charsada District, suspecting him of involvement i=
n immoral relations with a young woman. He was released after mediation by =
community elders and NGO colleagues. The provincial court of Ghor Province =
overturned the decision to release the suspect, and decided to punish the N=
GO worker with corporal punishment. He received 29 lashes on 20 June, in Fi=
roz Koh City court&rsquo;s premises in PD 1.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Besides this case, IEA forces applied c=
orporal punishments on two other recorded occasions in Ghor Province. On 23=
 February, IEA forces whipped two civilians including a woman. On 26 May, I=
EA forces whipped three civilians including a woman, accusing them of havin=
g had immoral relationships.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Herat Province, since 01 January 202=
2, IEA forces arrested 95 individuals under similar charges. Approximately =
half of the arrested suspects were women. Corporal punishment took place in=
 one case recorded by INSO, in Obe District on 23 February, when IEA member=
s whipped a young man.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Badghis Province, in the same time f=
rame, INSO logged four IEA arrest operations against individuals suspected =
of immoral relationships. Out of eight individuals arrested, three were wom=
en.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Farah Province IEA forces arrested s=
ix men suspected of immoral relationships in four different arrest operatio=
ns.</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;">It is highly likely that the to=
tal number of civilians arrested on suspicions of relationships perceived a=
s immoral by IEA forces are higher that the recorded cases due to underrepo=
rting. Still, the recorded figures indicate that such arrests have become a=
n ordinary feature of life in the Western Region and highly likely in other=
 parts of Afghanistan too. IEA forces tasked with security functions consid=
er the arrest of men and women involved in what they perceived as extramari=
tal relationships as an essential part of their mandate.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The fact that IEA forces arrested both =
men and women in these cases indicates that the IEA has a particularly stri=
ct stance on immoral relationships. This contrasts with the IEA&rsquo;s pra=
ctice of arresting male relatives of women found guilty of offences, such a=
s not wearing an adequate hejab after several warnings by IEA forces. Moreo=
ver, IEA forces have demonstrated willingness to conduct arrests on the bas=
is of suspicions alone. In several recorded cases, unmarried men and women =
who were having phone conversations were arrested, in the absence of eviden=
ce that the relationships involved physical intimacy. The interpretation of=
 a phone conversation, regardless of the content, may vary and even be cons=
trued as proof of a relationship.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">IEA forces have also shown readiness to=
 arrest individuals who take justice in their own hands. In Farah City, on =
27 February 2022, a man and woman shot and killed another woman who was inv=
olved in a relationship with her companion, likely her husband. On 11 March=
 in Taywarah District of Ghor Province, a man shot and killed his sister-in=
-law along with another man inside his private residence with an assault ri=
fle, accusing them of having an immoral relationship. IEA forces arrested t=
he perpetrators in both cases, highlighting the IEA&rsquo;s opposition to i=
ndividuals using violence to solve private vengeances.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The application of corporal punishment =
against suspects involved in immoral relationships is not systematic and ap=
pears to differ from district to district, for several possible reasons. On=
e is the personal stance of local IEA leaders and security bodies on immora=
l relationships. While GDI decided to release the NGO worker who was arrest=
ed in Charsada District, the IEA authorities in Firoz Koh City decided on a=
 strict application of the IEA law. In the same way that rules pertaining t=
o social behavior are enforced with varying severity across the Western Reg=
ion, IEA authorities appear not to unanimously support corporal punishments=
.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Another reason is that IEA leaders are =
likely concerned that applying corporal punishment might have negative repe=
rcussions in public opinion. IEA officials in large urban centres such as H=
erat City likely anticipate that applying physical violence against suspect=
s will result in unpopularity due to the increased presence of journalists =
and more urbane population. In more remote, rural or mountaineous districts=
, where a more conservative population is more likely to approve corporal p=
unishments, INSO recorded cases of flogging applied in semi-public settings=
 such as the court&rsquo;s premises. The IEA therefore appears to refrain f=
rom flogging suspects in full public view. However, violence persists out o=
f sight. In Herat City, several unconfirmed reports suggest that flogging h=
as been applied inside prisons against inmates, including women.<br /><br /=
></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The flogging of the NGO staff member on=
 20 June in Firoz Koh City indicates that NGO workers risk the same punishm=
ents from the IEA as the general public. There are no indications that NGO =
workers received lighter punishments for legal offences due to their profes=
sional role. In the event of renewed arrests of NGO staff workers suspected=
 of immoral relationships, such incidents could have negative repercussions=
 on how IEA perceives NGOs. In the medium to long term, this could, if such=
 incidents reoccur, result in increased scrutiny of NGOs by IEA forces, esp=
ecially IEA members belonging to the Department for the Promotion of Virtue=
 and Prevention of Vice. This type of incident, if repeated, risks feeding =
the perception that NGO staff members engage in immoral behaviour.<br /><br=
 /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGO have repeatedly been accused of bei=
ng environments in which workers are prone to immoral relationships. In lat=
e March in Ghor Province, the provincial governor ordered the suspension of=
 NGO activities as he suspected NGO staff members of &ldquo;immoral behavio=
ur&rdquo;. Four NGO staff members were detained. Although NGOs in Ghor Prov=
ince have not faced increased hostility since the arrest of the NGO member =
in Charsada District, the involvement of NGO staff members in activities th=
at are explicitly forbidden risks damaging trust between NGOs and the IEA.<=
/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 rel=
atively minor by some such as having casual relationships, entails a risk o=
f detention. NGOs should also make staff aware that, for legal offences com=
mitted outside of their professional role, the NGO would have limited optio=
ns to intervene with the authorities on their behalf.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Furthermore, should such incidents beco=
me reoccurring, they could ultimately reflect negatively on the organisatio=
n, and NGOs should be prepared to engage the IEA authorities accordingly, s=
tressing that the organisation is not responsible for the conduct of employ=
ees in their free time and that the organisation acts according to national=
 law.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">INSO West will continue to monitor the =
situation and provide email updates as necessary.</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;">
								SA West, Oscar Janssens de Bisthoven<br /><br /><a href=3D"mailto:s=
a.west@afg.ngosafety.org">sa.west@afg.ngosafety.org</a>								</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/WEST/R/06072022/#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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