Afghan women leaders 'intimidated'

A human rights organisation has urged the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, to put a stop to what it called the intimidation of the former Women's Affairs Minister, Dr Sima Samar.

The group, Human Rights Watch, said that the charge of blasphemy against Dr Samar, which was dismissed by a Kabul court on Monday, formed part of a pattern of threats and intimidation against legitimate representatives in Afghanistan, particularly women.

The group said it seemed that in Afghanistan, female leaders who stood up to warlords were threatened, while the warlords themselves were given high-level government posts. It called on President Karzai to live up to his promise to investigate all cases of intimidation during the recent loya jirga and ensure the security of those who reported them.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service