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| Afghanistan |
| Karzai orders changes to proposed domestic abuse law |
| 2014-02-18 |
[AMERICA.ALJAZEERA] Afghanistan's Caped President Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... on Monday ordered changes to a draft of new criminal legislation in response to an international outcry warning it would severely limit justice for victims of domestic abuse. Afghanistan's parliament had passed a new criminal procedure code that would ban relatives from testifying against alleged abusers. While the legislation awaited signature from Karzai, human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... organizations and several of Afghanistan's Western allies -- including the U.S. and European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... -- voiced strong concerns it would effectively curb prosecutions involving violence against women, where relatives are often the only witnesses. In a statement, Aimal Faizi, the presidential palace spokesperson, said the cabinet had decided that a new "Afghan criminal prosecution code won't come into force unless new amendments are made." Faizi added that Karzai was "well aware" of the criticism and decided at a Cabinet meeting Monday that the legislation must be changed. He also suggested that there may have been issues with how that part of the legislation -- Article 26 -- was translated into English. While the Ministry of Justice will decide on how to amend the text, Faizi stressed that the resulting legislation will be clear. "This law will not bar any relative or any family member to testify against each other or another member of family," he told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. "It will be up to them. They will have the freedom." Manizha Naderi, executive director of Women for Afghan Women, said she was "absolutely thrilled" by the move. "Our tireless advocacy for the last few weeks paid off," she said. "This is what we wanted -- for the bill to go back to the Ministry of Justice for revision." |
| Posted by:Fred |