Afghanistan: Jan ‘09

An IWPR story looking at attempts by the alleged perpetrators of war crimes to conceal evidence has impressed rights activists and angered those suspected of the outrages.

The story, Afghanistan Tries to Hide Its Troubled Past, by Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, investigated how suspects were trying to hide the evidence of crimes by clearing out mass graves in the North.

Lal Gul, head of the Afghan Human Rights Organisation, told IWPR that the piece was “one of the best I have ever seen” on the subject of war crimes. He also said that he was confident that the article would have a deep impact both nationally and internationally.

“I am sure its influence will spread. To do such a story at such a time, when the warlords are gaining more power and trying to destroy the evidence of their crimes – it is difficult to say just how important this is,” he said.

While rights activists welcomed the story, members of certain political factions named in the piece made angry phone calls to various media, warning them not to pick it up, and inquiring as to the whereabouts of Ibrahimi.

IWPR was not the first media outlet to cover the story. McClatchey newspapers published a shorter article in December, covering some of the same ground in Ibrahimi’s story. This failed to provoke much reaction within Afghanistan, even though the McClatchey article went much farther in speculating on those responsible for the destruction of the burial sites.

But IWPR, which appears in both Dari and Pashto, as well as English, is watched closely by opinion makers and various power elites within the country.

IWPR’s story was balanced and fair; it did not point the finger at any one person, and gave all those named a chance to respond. Nevertheless, there are groups within Afghanistan who do not want this information to become public knowledge.

This type of story is journalism at its best: investigative reporting, which uncovers events that some people would rather keep secret, and bringing pressure to bear on the government to take steps to clear things up.

We will be watching closely over the next months to see how Ibrahimi’s courageous reporting continues to make waves in Afghanistan.