Afghanistan Victims’ Families Association on Friday asked government to serve justice on war criminals and violators of human rights who committed atrocities during the communist regimes of Hafizullah Amin and Noor Mohammad Taraki.
It is believed that up to 5,000 people were buried in mass graves in Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul after being subjected to brutal tortures and severe jail terms.
The Association accused the present and past governments in Afghanistan of not serving justice on the perpetrators who committed the crimes during the communist regimes of Noor Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin.
The killings by the communist regimes happened during solar years of 1357 and 1358 (1978-1979).
“We have persistently said that the victims have been forgotten by the governments in Afghanistan, and no one is there to provide justice to the families of the victims. All those who were killed after merciless tortures and then buried in these graves deserve respect and criminals who committed these crimes must be tried so that they are remembered as bad in the history,” said Habib Rahyab, chairman Afghanistan Victims Families Association.
In 2013, Holland disclosed the identities of 5,000 people buried in mass graves on the basis of the information provided by a man know as Amanullah.
Zahra is an Afghan mother who has been crying for her two sons Abdul Rahim and Abdul Rauf for years.
She says that Haifzullah regime killed her sons without having done anything wrong.
“One of my sons was a government employee and the other one was studying at class 8. One day they left the home and then I never saw them again, whatever I did, no one heard me, but three years ago, It was disclosed that my sons are in Pul-e-Charkhi,” said Zahra referring to the mass grave.
Family members of the victims also raised deep concerns about the culture of impunity in the country. They said that any peace negotiation talks with the armed opponents without serving justice on the war criminals is meaningless.
“During that era, even the children were being tortured, I saw the old men were brought there in charge of plots and overthrowing the government while they even were not able to read and write,” said Abdul Khaliq Azad, a prisoner of Hafizullah era.
“We and all those who survived the torture and oppression and came out of the prison alive need to work for the families of the victims to ensure justice and work for respect of human rights,” said Toori Qul Memangi, a prisonor of Hafizullah regime.
Families of the victims also asked the government and international institutions to review a peace deal with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar –led Hizb-e-Islami and disclose the names of those who plotted attacks on protestors in Deh Mazang, Sakhi Shrine and Baqir-Ul-Olom mosque.