UN Says Afghan Warlords Violating Human Rights

21 August 2004 -- A UN refugee official says factional fighting in western Afghanistan has left thousands of returning refugees stranded at the Iranian border for three days.

Daniel Endres said today that fighting between two rival warlords in districts surrounding Herat city has rendered travel routes unusable.

Thousands of refugees arrive at the Iranian border every day as Iran has stopped renewing identity cards of Afghan refugees.

Also today, a UN expert on human rights, Cherif Bassiouni, said many Afghan warlords are violating human rights. He said their actions include executions, torture, arbitrary arrest, and inhumane detention, seizure of private property, and trafficking of women and children.

(AFP/dpa)