Serial Number: 115

Date: 18th Hamal , 1399 coincided with 6th April, 2020 

His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan!

Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the world and especially in Afghanistan, along with all other concerns, including, the lack of access to adequate health facilities, poor economy, lack of serious attention to health and safety instructions and social problems, one of a considerable concerns is the situation of prisoners; especially women prisoners, in women's prisons and Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers.

According to today's statistics, dated 18th Hoot, 1399 coincided with 6th April, 2020 about 367 coronavirus cases have been reported, which indicates the rapid spread of the virus in all provinces of Afghanistan. As doctors and experts recommend, we should take corona seriously and use different methods to fight with this virus.

Moreover, we appreciate and express our gratitude for your attention and instructions to prevent further spread of virus and prevent this disease; including, your directions to all ministries and private sector to avoid overcrowding, employment of government employees who are over the age of 55, and legislative decree to release 5,000 prisoners due to the lack of safety measures in prisons and reducing the density of prisoners.  

Now, taking into account monitoring women's prisons in the center and provinces, it is clear that women's prisons and juvenile rehabilitation centers, in terms of health and safety, are in a terrible condition, thus, having the following problems requires serious consideration and attention:

• Prisoners and detainees do not have access to sanitary facilities.
• Prison guards do not have enough equipment to disinfect and clean the equipment inside the rooms of prisoners and detainees.
• There are more than five people living in each room, and the virus is highly transmittable.
• Prison guards are in daily contact with the outside world, and the possibility of transmitting the virus from them to prisoners and detainees is very high.
• There is no possibility of quarantine in prisons and rehabilitation centers, because prisons and rehabilitation centers have not been built in a standard way as far as its capacity is concerned.
• Prisoners and detainees do not have enough and complementary food, therefore, they are weak in terms of body’s resistance and if they get coronavirus disease, they are more likely to lose their lives.
• Prisoners and detainees use public toilets, baths, vestibules, and public courtyards that may cause serious health problems, and the government will not be able to control them.
• A number of women prisoners are being held in prisons with their children, and their children are facing serious health threats.

Therefore, we Afghan women, because of respecting human rights and protecting the lives of prisoners and detainees and returning them safely to their families request you to:   

1. Women and girls usually do not commit serious crimes, but are always misused or deceived and involved in criminal cases, and due to unfair court decisions are often sent to prisons or rehabilitation centers, thus, criminal policy towards them must be different.
2. The release of imprisoned and detained women and girls, who are not convicted of criminal offences, should be ordered as soon as possible to prevent further outbreaks of coronavirus in these centers and provide humanitarian assistance to these women.
3. Similarly, serious attention should be paid to the release of young children from juvenile rehabilitation centers, so that they are securely and safely returned to their families.
4. For those women prisoners and detainees who are convicted of criminal offences and according to the provisions of law remain in prisons, necessary attention should be paid to their better access to safety and health facilities and necessary measures should be taken.  

We express our gratitude and thanks in advance for your attention!

With respect,

Afghan Women’s Network