21 June 2010 - The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) opened the first human rights centre for students of Herat University last week.

During the inauguration Dr Sima Samar, AIHRC Country Director, said the Centre would provide basic information on human rights to raise awareness so that students become “our ambassadors, passing our messages to the community.”

According to Daud Mohammad Wahidi, who looks after AIHRC’s education section, there will be two teachers who will help Afghan students on their research on law and human rights.

Dr Sima Samar also opened the Transitional Justice Museum, which commemorates the death of thousands of Afghans that were killed during the past three decades of war and revolution.

Inside, glass cases display explosive devices, bombs and mines while photographs of young and old men killed in the war are displayed on the walls.

“The purpose is to remember the history of war, to make sure that victims are remembered and that war crimes never happen again,” Dr Sima Samar told journalists at the opening, where dozens of human rights activists and officials had gathered.

Dr Samar also insisted that if the names of high-ranking Taliban are removed from the UN’s “black list,” it would not reduce their crimes, referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1267 which established a sanctions committee for Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda representatives, freezing their bank accounts and prohibiting them from crossing international borders.

By Fraidoon Poya, UNAMA