Villagers Flee Intimidation

More than 200 villagers from rural areas in the northern province of Faryab have fled their homes and sought refuge in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, claiming they have been persecuted by a local commander.

The villagers say that after they voted for President Hamed Karzai in last October’s election, their homes were looted and they were subjected to extortion by Najib, a local commander.

Najib supported defeated candidate General Abdul Rashid Dostum, whose support is strongest in northern Afghanistan.

In addition, they claim that Najib has illegally imprisoned at least 20 of their children.

Although many women and children have returned to their villages in the Gorziwan district, at least 60 men have remained in Mazar-e-Sharif, saying their lives would be in danger if they went home.

Najib has denied all the allegations.

"I have no armed men and I am not a commander,” he said. “"I have not imprisoned anyone, nor have I said a word to anybody about voting for Karzai. It is all untrue."

But Mohammad Nazarbay, one of the villagers who fled, tells a different story.

"The pressure from commander Najib started building after the election, because we didn't vote for Dostum," he said. "We were regarded as his opponents, and every day they came demanding money.

"Then Najib's armed men came to my house, looted everything and threatened to kill me. One of them told me that the next day I should buy him a Kalashnikov [rifle].

"But they had taken everything. How could I buy him a gun? I had no choice but to leave that night".

Nazarbay also said he had heard that his two sons, ages 12 and 14, had been seized in his place and thrown into Najib's private prison.

"All I want is my children released unharmed," he said.

Another alleged victim, Haji Nabi, 65, said he had been pressured by Najib after voting for Karzai.

"Najib has taken our properties and ordered every villager to buy him a Kalashnikov," he said.

Pointing to his Haj form, the permit required to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, Haji Nabi said, "I had the form and I’d put some money away for the journey, and this man stole my savings and threatened me.

"My young son was beaten so badly that he is now on death's door. He [Najib] then put him in his jail and I have no idea what has happened to him," he said.

Another villager, Mohammad Juma, said, "All my goods were looted. He even took my house and converted it into a military base with all his armed men living there."

Azizurrahman Rasikh, of the Afghan Organisation for Human Rights and the Environment said, "The abduction and imprisonment of children is a clear violation of rights."

He said some of the children detained had now been released.

"The interior ministry has ordered the Faryab administration to hand back properties to their owners," he added. "Some villagers have decided to return home and settle their disputes locally."

The province's deputy governor, Sayed Ahmad Sayed, said he had heard about residents fleeing, "but because they did not come to me with their problems I did not know the reason.

“I don’t know whether Najib is involved, but we are trying to get a clear picture of what has been happening. Then we can decide what action to take."

Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is an IWPR staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif.