MOSCOW, September 26 (RIA Novosti) - Afghanistan's newly elected leaders should make all efforts to address the country's persistent human rights problems, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a letter to Afghani government Friday.
The newly elected president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, and chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah "have an opportunity — and the responsibility — to address continuing human rights concerns in Afghanistan," the letter, published at the HRW's official website, reads.
"We urge you and your government to make these actions a priority," the organization said, addressing the Afghani leaders.
The letter reminds that the HRW has been monitoring the situation with the human rights in Afghanistan since early 1980s and states that it is encouraged by the fact that both Ghani and Abdullah emphasized the importance of the changes in their election campaigns.
According to the document, the main areas of concern for Afghanistan in the human rights sphere include the lack of accountability for the country's security forces, the need for reforms in women's and children's rights protection and the need to ensure the protection of the freedom of expression.
2014 is seen as a "year of major change" for Afghanistan as the country expects the withdrawal of most international forces to be completed by the end of the year. On Sunday, Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister of Afghanistan, was declared the country's next president, shortly after signing a power-sharing deal with his rival Abdullah Abdullah.
