FM urged to take concrete steps against Taliban

Tehran, March 18, IRNA -- Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization (CHO) in a letter to President Mohammad Khatami called on Foreign Ministry to adopt measures for punishment of Taliban by international organizations and foras for the militias destruction of historical and cultural sites. Public Relations Department at the CHO referred to measures taken by the president, the Foreign Ministry, the CHO and international organizations, to prevent destruction of cultural monuments in Afghanistan by Taliban and said demolition of the sites was a crime against culture of mankind. The CHO called for punishment of Taliban for destruction of the monuments in accordance with 1954 convention and the 1999 protocol of the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) as well as charter of the international penal court that termed destruction of cultural and historical monuments by a military group as a crime against humanity. Based on reports, Buddha statues in Bamyan Province of Afghanistan and other historical statues in the regions occupied by Taliban were destroyed at a time when protocols were submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for including Bamyan statues and its ancient site in the list of world historical monuments.