Police beat, force us into hard labor: Farah addicts

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): A number of drug addicts in western Farah province claim police beat and force them to work in construction of trenches and subject them to other hard labor.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the population of drug addicts in Farah was 45,000 people in 2013.

Shahr-i-Kohna or Qala-i-Fraidon, a 25,000-year-old historical palace about a kilometer north of Farah City, the provincial capital, currently serves as a safe haven for a large number of addicts.

The addicts have carved caves in the wall of the historic building and stay there day and night.

Ihsanullah, 28, one of the drug addicts, said he started consuming drugs three years ago.

The man burst into tears as he showed wounds on his feet, saying “Police savagely and always beat us.”

He grumbled police forced them to work as laborers in trenches despite receiving money from the government for the same work.

Shafiq, a resident of western Herat province who stays in Qala-i-Fraidon, confirmed Ihsanullah’s account and said: “Police toss us into in a pick-up and take us to work forcibly without paying money.”

He claimed: “Three years ago, police beat to death some addicts after they refused to work for them.”

Sayed Ahmad and Niamatullah, whose faces were dirty and their mouths dried up lived in one of the caves. They also said police used them as unpaid hard workers.

Niamatullah also said, “Police beat and violate our rights and using force they take us to work but there is no one to hear our voice.”

Kalimullah, a resident of Bagh Kafi near Qala-i-Faridoon, told Pajhwok he had himself seen security forces beating addicts and putting them in a police vehicle.

Baryali Ghafari, a civil society activist, expressed his deep concern over police highhandedness and said he had also seen police beating addicts.

He said police forced addicts to clean their stations. But no addict has so far shared or complained about the issue to them or other human rights institutions, the activist said.

Meanwhile, Muhibullah Mohib, Farah police spokesman said some people, including policemen, informally used addicts for personal works.

He rejected if police forced drug addicts to work on reconstruction projects without payment.

He said the police headquarters would investigate the issue as addicts were needy people of society and police should cooperate with them.

sa/pk/ma

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