KABUL - A day long workshop on arbitrary detention organized by UNAMA’s Rule of Law unit, GTZ, and Balkh Provincial Department of Justice was conducted this week in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Even if some improvements have been made following the renewal of the Afghan constitution in the Bonn agreement, the country’s justice sector still needs capacity development and technical support.

Respecting its commitment for supporting the Afghan government, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), through its Rule of Law unit, has been working toward enhancing the technical capacity of the justice sector.

The objective of the workshop was to strengthen cooperation between the police and justice sector in order to reduce arbitrary detention cases and on-time follow up on pending cases of suspects, accused and convicts who are kept in detention facilities without being attended for long.  

Over 60 participants from different justice and anti-criminal sectors attended the event, including the Balkh Department of Justice, attorneys, police, National Security Directorate, lawyers, public prosecutors, local and national media, and relevant UN agencies.

The workshop included an academic introduction on arbitrary detention as well as a round table discussion over the issue, where many questions were raised on existing cases in Mazar.

Balkh Provincial Police Department, attorneys, provincial jail representatives, and Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission members responded to questions in a vibrant and informative and open debate.

Another workshop for attorneys, police officers, detention center officials and those working in the justice sector in various districts of Balkh Province will be conducted at the same venue.

By Sayed Barez, UNAMA