CASE STUDIES
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
The security situation in Afghanistan has presented serious obstacles to
implementation of activities and field missions by the Afghanistan Independent
Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). The AIHRC has had to revise or cancel
many of its programs and fields missions. However, efforts are always made to
shift such programs from insecure locations to more secure ones.
In 2004, the AIHRC’s regional office in Herat province was set on fire by a
group of people covertly led by one of the former warlords.
In a very sad and tragic incident in 2008, one of the AIHRC’s senior staff
members, the Provincial Program Manager of Ghor province, was kidnapped
and brutally beheaded, apparently by anti-government elements. His body
was found seven months later. There have been indications of intimidation and
threats against AIHRC staff in other provinces too.369
In 2010, the security situation deteriorated significantly, which had a negative
impact on the AIHRC’s programs and activities, as well as inflicting great
harm to the staff and leadership of AIHRC. During that year, the AIHRC lost its
Child’s Rights Commissioner Hamida Barmaki, her children and husband as a
result of a suicide attack.370
In spite of the dangers, the AIHRC has pursued its responsibilities
courageously and has achieved results. For example, Afghanistan has now
ratified seven of the nine core international human rights treaties.
National Human Rights Commission of Nepal
Dayaram Pariyar, aged 23, a staff member of the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) of Nepal at the NHRC’s Janakpur office, was shot by
police at Janakichowk in Janakpur on 25 March 2006. He died on 28 March
2006 at the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. He had only joined the staff of
the NHRC on 15 January 2006.
While expressing his condolences in a memorial service at the Commission,
NHRC Chairperson Nayan Bahadur Khatri promised that no stone would be
left unturned to find out the full facts of the incident and to seek punishment
for the perpetrators. Representatives of civil society and various human rights
organisations, the OHCHR Mission in Nepal and NHRC staff paid their heartfelt
condolences during the memorial service. The Commission’s condolence
notice stated that Mr Pariyar was not only a staff of the NHRC but a committed
human rights activist. The NHRC closed all its offices on 28 March 2006 to
mark Mr Pariyar’s death.371
After investigating the death, the NHRC recommended the prosecution
of four police officers and compensation for Mr Patiyar’s family. Neither
recommendation has been accepted by the Government of Nepal.372 p241