U.S. Says 'Widespread Violence' At Heart Of Afghan Human Rights Problems

A new U.S. State Department report says Afghanistan's most pressing human rights problems stem from "widespread violence," including indiscriminate attacks on civilians by armed insurgent groups and "torture and abuse of detainees by government forces."

The 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released on April 13, also criticized "widespread disregard for the rule of law and little accountability for those who committed human rights abuses" in Afghanistan.

"The [Afghan] government did not consistently or effectively prosecute abuses by officials, including security forces," the report said.

The report also said that women and girls in Afghanistan last year were subjected to "targeted violence" and “endemic societal discrimination."

Women who were "accused of so-called moral crimes" also faced "arbitrary arrest and detention," it said.