Abdul Jabar Sabet

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Abdul Jabar Sabet is the current Attorney General of Afghanistan, appointed by Hamid Karzai. Sabet is an ethnic Pashtun.

Sabet was a long time aid to America's current most wanted terrorist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and was an ally to Osama bin Laden.[1] After leaving Afghanistan, he worked in the U.S. for Voice of America but was fired for his ongoing links to Hekmatyar.[1]

Sabet later entered Canada and settled in Montreal, Quebec. It is suspected that Sabet entered illegally and did not disclose his past to the Canadian government as Citizenship and Immigration Canada say they have no record of Sabet’s name.[1]

Sabet returned to Afghanistan to work in the Interior Ministry. He was promoted to Attorney General in May 2006. Sources close to the President Hamid Karzai say that Sabet was promoted with U.S. support in exchange for giving positive comments about the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.[1]

In April 2007, Sabet launched a violent raid on Tolo TV (the country's largest private TV chain) for what he thought was a "distorted" report on his comments regarding the country's judicial system.[2] Seven journalists from the TV station were taken to his office by force without warrants and severely beaten.[3]

Sabet has been criticized for targeting individuals of non-Pashtun ethnicity and has been called a racist.[4]

[edit] Sabet Accused of Corruption and Breaking the Law

In April, 17, 2006 Sabet launched a raid on the country's most popular TV Channel ToloTV. The raid ended with detention and questioning of Tolo TV staff and journalists for broadcasting a news clip about Sabet. The raid was fiercely protested and announced as illegal by the law-makers, the UN office UNAMA and independent journalists. [5]

Following the raid, TOLO TV launched a formal complaint against Sabet and Co. "The complaint identifies at least 11 potential breaches of the law by Mr Sabet ... [and others], [for] the potential crimes ...of the utmost seriousness and directly affect issue of rule of law and sustainability of democracy in Afghanistan, especially given that they may be perpetrated by a person holding the highest operational legal position in Afghanistan."" Among others Tolo TV's complaint requested the "immediate suspension of Mr Sabet and his co-workers implicated in the incident, including the Commander of District 10 Police pending the finalisation of investigations The resutls of this complaint remain unknown. [6]

Despite Sabet's claims of being champion of anti-corruption fight, the Head of Afghanistan's Department of Corruption and Bribery , Mr. Ezatullah Wasifi accused Sabet of corruption, he specifically said that " ... I am aware of many cases of [corruption] involving Attorney General [Sabet]." (Ezatullah Wasifi, 14, April, 2008) [7]


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "The True North? Canada Dodges Connection to the Kabul Airport Scandal", Sky News, April 9, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  2. ^ "Afghan official with Canadian past tied to violent TV raid", CBC News, April 18, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  3. ^ "Rogue Attorney General Humbled By Gen. Amerkhel’s Return", Sky News, April 26, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 
  4. ^ "Afghan Attorney General Criticized in Corruption Fight", National Public Radio, July 11, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  5. ^ "Afghan govt raids TV station over news clip", AFP/Reuters, April 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. 
  6. ^ "Afghan Attorney General Raids TV station", April 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. (English) 
  7. ^ "Afghan Attorney General Accused of Corruption", BBC Persian, April 14, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. (Persian)