By Brendan Sweeney
On 9 September Sultan Munadi, 34, was shot dead in a British-led operation while Stephen Farrell – a reporter for the New York Times – was rescued unharmed. A British soldier and two Afghan civilians also died in the raid. According to the BBC, Afghan journalists suggest that the incident reveals double standards among the international forces in the country, and the CSHRN shares this suspicion. In a statement just released, the CSHRN points out that:
“The killing of Sultan has shocked civil society, Afghan intellectuals and the human rights community in Afghanistan. Sultan’s killing indicates a lack of commitment on the part of the Afghan government to its citizens who work for civil freedom, the expansion of which has been one of the main achievements in Afghanistan during the post-Taliban period. Why the Afghan government forces could not rescue Sultan is the self-evident question posed by Afghan Civil Society, which has so far been left unanswered. “
Malek Sitez, Senior Programme Adviser at the Danish Institute for Human Rights backs up the CSHRN statement:
“I share the concern of my colleagues in the Civil Society and Human Rights Network and support their call to the new Afghan government for the establishment of an effective mechanism to investigate the death of Sultan. I too believe that it is crucial that international forces such as NATO and ISAF treat Afghan citizens on an equal basis to that of their own citizens,” he said.
The Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) which is organized by the Danish Institute for Human Rights in Afghanistan consists of approximately 60 human rights NGOs promoting civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. It has previously issued statements to condemn election fraud in Afghanistan and to criticise the passing of legislation – the so-called Family Law - which violates the rights of women.
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