More Afghan women jailed for 'moral crimes', says HRW

It's Groundhog Day in Afghanistan.  Only this time, the violation and suffering of Afghan women will be worse than anytime since Islam invaded the region 1,200 years ago.

FROM BBC.CO.UK:

21 May 2013 Last updated at 12:50 ET

More Afghan women jailed for 'moral crimes', says HRW

The number of women and girls in Afghanistan imprisoned for "moral crimes" has risen by 50% in the past 18 months, a rights group says.

Human Rights Watch says many are jailed for running away from home, often from forced marriages or domestic violence.

Others are behind bars as a result of alleged adultery, in truth often involving rape, it said.
The government should "get tough on abusers of women and stop blaming women who are crime victims", said HRW.
It said 600 women and girls were now imprisoned for "moral crimes" - the highest since the US-led overthrow of the Taliban 12 years ago.

About 110 of those were girls under 18.

Virginity tests

Human Rights Watch's alert comes just three days after angry scenes in the Afghan parliament forced a halt to a debate about reinforcing a law to prevent violence against women.

The law banning violence against women, child marriages and forced marriages was passed by presidential decree in 2009, but did not gain MPs' approval.

    Afghan police, without any scientific basis, are routinely forcing these unspeakable examinations on women and girls”

Brad Adams HRW Asia director

Some women's activists had worried that by opening up the law for debate, it might be watered down or even repealed.
Human Rights Watch says many of the protections within the Elimination of Violence Against Women law - which bans forced and underage marriage, beatings and rape - are still not being implemented on the ground.

"Four years after the adoption of a law on violence against women and 12 years after Taliban rule, women are still imprisoned for being victims of forced marriage, domestic violence, and rape," Brad Adams, HRW Asia director, was quoted as saying.

Article continues HERE.