KUNDUZ - A new UNAMA campaign to promote the rights of people in detention is rolling out through the provinces of Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan

Twenty promotional banners are on display in public places aimed at promoting understanding and awareness on the rights of detainees under Afghan laws.

The joint initiative of UNAMA Strategic Communications and the Mission’s Human Rights Unit is aimed at promoting understanding and awareness among the general public and the staff of legal and security institutions.

The banners feature promotional photos and articles from Afghan law stressing eight key rights of detainees, including the right to a defence counsel, the right to be informed about their rights, equality before the law, the right to a public trial, the right not to be tortured, the right to a family visit and the right to remain silent.

The banners are being displayed at locations such as government institutions and educational institutes, key public sites in the cities and districts of the northeastern provinces.

In February, UNAMA released a report on the torture and ill-treatment of conflict-related detainees in government detention facilities, which showed a 14 per cent decrease in torture.

However, twenty out of 71 interviewed detainees reported having experienced torture or ill-treatment following their transfer to Afghan custody in 2013-14.

The report welcomed the new administration’s commitment to accelerate its efforts to fully eliminate the practice of torture and ill-treatment in detention facilities