In February police killed four protesters in Kabul and one in Maymana when demonstrations turned violent over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Political rights for the residents remained circumscribed, and citizens did not have the right to change their government. Suicide bombings around mosques occurred; for example, in September a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a mosque in Kandahar. Police initially tried to use batons to disperse the crowd and then fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at demonstrators. Many judges were poorly trained; some were closely associated with the ruling party. It was not known if he was targeted due to being a journalist. DisappearanceDisappearances and kidnappings remained serious problems during the year. Seven individuals were released by the end of the year, while one individual remained detained without charge at year's end. DisappearanceThere were no reports of politically motivated disappearances. Human rights groups alleged that these provisions were used widely to revoke the citizenship of ethnic Nepalese who subsequently were expelled from or otherwise departed the country. Additionally, threats were issued against the directors of the provincial Departments of Women's Affairs in the provinces of Paktika, Kandahar, Helmand, Khost, Laghman, Kapisa, Wardak, and Nuristan. Wiretapping is not allowed without a warrant. Of those 48 were kidnapped allegedly for political reasons, and five persons were believed to have been killed. Role of the Police and Security ApparatusThe Royal Bhutan Police, under the control of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, had responsibility for internal security.
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