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Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2022 11:29:27 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_CENTRAL_SA <sa.central@afg.ngosafety.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <oDcI7YRASvG4KoNFJ9py5g@geopod-ismtpd-4-2>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= PANJSHIR: IEA Members Seize
 NGO Staff =?UTF-8?B?TWVtYmVyc+KAmQ==?= Smartphones On Unclear Grounds
To: Rohullah Azimi <rohullah.azimi@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=
4; margin: 0 auto; background: #fff; text-align: center; border-collapse: c=
ollapse;" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">
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: middle; text-align: center;">
				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, Panjshir Province,=
 Bazarak District, <a href=3D"https://goo.gl/maps/TLbzZzWH7F8yPk9w7">Marsha=
l Fahim Stadium</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;">
								Smartphones Seized								</div>
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3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
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;">
								30/10/2022 09:15								</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;">
<p style=3D"text-align: justify;">At the indicated time and location, IEA f=
orces manning a checkpoint stopped an NGO national staff member and an expa=
triate NGO staff member travelling along the main highway. IEA forces seize=
d the smartphones of all passengers, demanding to see an authorisation lett=
er to carry smartphones from the Ministry of Interior.<br /><br />NGO staff=
 reported seeing a high number of other phones being seized at the checkpoi=
nt around the time of the incident. Anecdotal reports indicate similar seiz=
ures at the same checkpoints have impacted civilian residents as well as IE=
A members over the past seven days.<br /><br />NGO personnel negotiated wit=
h IEA forces briefly, who subsequently returned their phones and allowed th=
em to proceed.</p>
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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;">
<p style=3D"text-align: justify;">The seizure of the smartphones in Bazarak=
 is part of a broader intensification of controls at checkpoints in Panjshi=
r Province observed along the main Charikar-Bazarak Highway over the past w=
eek. This intensification, in turn, appears to have been prompted by increa=
sed public scrutiny of IEA activities in Panjshir. This followed a high-pro=
file open source report from a news outlet alleging extrajudicial killings =
of NRF members, which had relied heavily on video footage recorded by IEA m=
embers. Shortly after its release, senior IEA security officials from Kabul=
 travelled to Bazarak to discuss the implications of the report with provin=
cial authorities and reportedly instructed them to ban IEA members from usi=
ng smartphones while in Panjshir.<br /><br />The release of the report also=
 coincided with the visit of senior IO officials to Panjshir to meet with c=
ivil society and IEA members to discuss the situation in the province with =
regards to conflict activity and human rights. With Panjshir Province still=
 regarded as one of the main centres of OAGs opposing the IEA, the IO offic=
ials&rsquo; visit and subsequent report alleging widespread human rights ab=
uses in Panjshir most likely further increased pressure on the authorities =
to enforce stricter information sharing policies, including by banning the =
use of smartphones for IEA members.<br /><br />As this original, top-down p=
olicy was limited only to IEA members, it still remains unclear why IEA che=
ckpoint personnel appear to have extended this policy to the seizure of sma=
rtphones of civilians and NGO staff members. As no similar seizures have th=
us far been reported from other checkpoints in Panjshir Province, it is con=
ceivable that individual checkpoint personnel stationed in the title area h=
ave made this decision unilaterally without consent or orders from their su=
periors. Alternatively, given the general lack of consistency in the level =
of depth of controls at checkpoints, IEA personnel at the checkpoint in Baz=
arak may have been directly instructed to do so, with other checkpoints thu=
s far failing to implement the same order.<br /><br />The lack of clarity o=
n the legitimacy of the order also further compounds attempts to prevent ch=
eckpoint personnel from confiscating NGO staff members&rsquo; phones and th=
eir eventual retrieval. The reference to a &ldquo;permission letter&rdquo; =
to use smartphones within Panjshir Province remains unclear, as INSO could =
not confirm the existence of any such letter or a specific process to obtai=
n such a letter as of the time of writing. While the NGO staff involved in =
the 30 October incident succeeded in having their phones returned, this was=
 based on personal negotiations rather than an official process or legal pr=
ocedure and as such it is unlikely to succeed in all instances.</p>
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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;">
<p style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are advised to inform staff members =
travelling to or working in Panjshir Province of the encountered issues at =
the checkpoint in the title area and review the need to carry smartphones o=
n their person.<br /><br />Where possible, road movements should be conduct=
ed by individuals who have recently travelled along the route and are famil=
iar with established IEA checkpoints. Drivers familiar with the route shoul=
d take note of visible indicators of a heightened security posture (new tem=
porary checkpoints, additional patrols, intensified controls etc.), reduce =
vehicle speed, and anticipate increased scrutiny from IEA forces at checkpo=
ints in the area.<br /><br />NGOs should ensure all relevant documents, suc=
h as personal identification cards, permission letters, and other supportin=
g documents are available in all vehicles and staff members are able to cle=
arly communicate the origin, destination, and purpose of the journey to che=
ckpoint personnel. During controls at checkpoints, documents should only be=
 presented if IEA personnel specifically requests them.<br /><br />When bei=
ng held for extended periods of time at a checkpoint, NGO staff should requ=
est to contact their respective security focal points, if safe to do so. Du=
ring questioning by IEA personnel, NGO staff are further advised to inform =
IEA members of the independent and neutral nature of their work.<br /><br /=
>Should IEA personnel not accept issued permission letters or other documen=
ts, NGO staff are advised to remain calm, cooperative, and seek to clarify =
any misunderstandings. NGO staff should explain which issuing authority had=
 granted them which types of permission, and respectfully request to call t=
hese IEA authorities for support.</p>
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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%;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 0 12.5px 0; border-bo=
ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">SA Central, Dennis Ikas<br /><b=
r /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><a href=3D"mailto:sa.central@afg.ngosaf=
ety.org">sa.central@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/CENTRAL/R/30102022/#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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