Debates around the disclosure of the "Afghan War Diary” from Wikileaks on July 25th and the Kabul Conference on July 20th demonstrate large holes in the discussion, criticized the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) on Wednesday. "The dedication of Afghani human rights activists to the democratizing of Afghanistan and the enforcement of human rights has been largely ignored in both German and international conversations,” deplored Tillmann Schmalzried, consultant for Afghanistan at the STP. In order to successfully achieve a state under the rule of law, the international community must put its energy into strengthening Afghani human rights activists instead of partnering with warlords who are more interested in the benefits of war.

The warlords use the Islamic legal system to silence human rights activists. Lawsuits based on false accusations are often used to force them to flee the country. Such was the case with the brother of the Afghani journalist Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi who was sentenced to 20 years of jail for offending the prophet, a conviction that was, however, based on conflicting evidence. Ibrahimi is arguably the most important anti-warlord journalist. Both brothers were forced to flee the country in 2009. "It’s not just the powerful warlords, but also president Karzai who commits violations of human rights in order to shut down unwelcome voices,” said Schmalzried. For example, Karzai banned "Good Night President,” a book written by journalist Mahsa Taee about the corruption and misuse of power in the Afghani government. Her only option was to flee the country.

The American "War Diaries” verify that the authority of the Afghani warlords has been increasingly strengthened by international policy. Germany is no exception. An entry from July 17, 2009 documents that Governor Atta, Germany’s most important partner in northern Afghanistan, even prompted Taliban fighters in the province of Balkh to attack in order to expose Karzai’s weaknesses. Karzai did not promote General Atta to the position of vice president as originally intended. The STP accuses Atta of ethnic expulsion and political murders of members of the Pashtun minority in northern Afghanistan. It further calls upon the German government to remember its obligation to put the goals for the development of Afghanistan first formulated at the Petersberg Conference on December 5th 2001 into practice. First and foremost is the disarmament of illegal militia and the punishment of war crimes. It is unacceptable for troops from the international community to look the other way when Afghani armed forces commit serious human rights crimes.

The Society for Threatened Peoples therefore appeals to the German Chancellor to sway the other nations engaged in Afghanistan to disarm militias, prosecute war crimes, and to protect human rights and minorities in Afghanistan. Afghani human rights activists such as Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi and Mahsa Taee should not be forced to abandon their positions while their opponents, warlords and Islamists, throw the country into chaos.

Translation: Sophia Chambers