Threats against the democratic candidate Latif Pedram !

According to broadcasts by the BBC and Bakhtar News Agency on September 1, 2004, the Supreme Court of Afghanistan (Setare Mahkame) in a letter to Afghanistan’s Head of Government, Electoral Commission, UNAMA, various ministeries and to the Attorney General, has asked that the democratic candidate Latif PEDEAM, writer and poet unjustly accused of being an “infidel” be barred from the list of presidential candidates and all electoral activities.

Under the pretext of PEDRAM’s position in favor of women’s rights, which the Supreme Court has qualified as “blasphemous”, they have consequently requested that a judicial investigation of these charges be opened.

This very serious development leaves us stupified. We are convinced that these at best doubtful accusations are in fact heavy blows to the unfolding of a free and democratic Afghanistan during this current period of violence and war. Democracy is the only way to bring an end to the years of suffering and injustice inflicted upon its population. Efforts to eliminate this democratic cadidate call to mind the methods used by the Taliban, and ring alarm as to the future of this long suffering country.

We are very also concerned about threats from various sources to the life of Latif PEDRAM as well as by the Supreme Court’s request that he be put under investigation.

We call upon all men and women of good faith as well as the authorities of Afghanistan to defend the human rights of all their citizens so that the hopes of millions of people in Afghanistan and all humanity for the construction of a free, developed and democratic Afghanistan not be undermined as it takes its first steps.

September 8, 2004

Email address for signatures :

Defendelatifpedram@hotmail.com

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