The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is investigating allegations of rampant prostitution at a women’s prison built in Afghanistan with Finnish funding.
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reported in its main evening television news broadcast on Thursday that sex services by female inmates have been offered to local project workers employed by the Finnish Foreign Ministry. The women’s prison was opened up two months ago in Sheberghan in the north of Afghanistan.
The reports came as a surprise to the Finnish Foreign Ministry, which learned about them shortly before the official opening of the facility. Ministry official Rauli Suikkanen says that the activities came to light during normal project monitoring activities.
There are suspicions that the prison administration may be involved in the activities. “Investigations are still going on”, Suikkanen said to YLE.
The situation is awkward, as one of Finland’s goals in development cooperation is to improve the position of Afghan women.
The Sheberghan women’s prison was set up because the city’s infamous main prison was in such poor shape. Finland was to have financed the construction of a men’s prison in Afghanistan as well. However, all prison projects have been put on hold as a result of the suspected prostitition activities.
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) says that conditions in Afghanistan make it difficult to monitor activities in prisons.
In an interview with YLE on Thursday morning, Stubb admits that there have been problems with certain finance projects.
Stubb, who was reached by telephone in Syria, says that the administration of the prison has been sacked, and that Finland no longer finances prisons in Afghanistan.
Helsingin Sanomat
7.5.2009 - TODAY
Prostitution alleged to be taking place in Finnish-funded Afghan prison
Prostitution alleged to be taking place in Finnish-funded Afghan prison