Afghanistan’s human rights situation has regressed in key areas during 2013, with Women’s rights declining as the rest of the world loses interest in the country and international armed forces leave to meet the 2014 withdrawal deadline.  Fears for Afghanistan’s future are spelled out in the new report from Human Rights watch.

“There was continued instability and declining respect for human rights in the country over the past year.  This was reflected in attacks on women’s rights,” the report said.  “Impunity for abuses was the norm for government security forces and other armed groups.”

President Hamid Karzai had made a series of decisions in 2013 that undermined human rights, particularly those of women and girls.  Politically, things got worse as Afghanistan’s parliament reduced the number of seats set aside for women on the country's 34 provincial councils.  And the Ministry of Justice banned court testimony from family members, making it difficult to prosecute domestic abuse, forced marriage, and child marriage cases.

“The severity of Afghanistan’s human rights crisis in 2013 demands urgent action by both the government and the country’s foreign donors,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.