1. "I think any reasonable person looking at those facts would conclude that the allegations to the contrary are just simply overblown." He also said it was worth noting that "despite a good deal of digging by every journalist in Europe, that the last allegation of a rendition was something like three years ago." In the past, the United States has used renditions to bring someone to justice in the U.S. court system.

2. Sarwari’s lone status as a convicted human rights violator is not due to any outside influences, he added. «We have not received any official complaints against anyone else,» said Kamawi. «If we do receive complaints, they will be tried.» People on the street expressed general cynicism over the Sarwari trial. «Sarwari has no power, no money, and no guns, so it‘s easy to bring him to trial,» said Samiullah, 31, who lives in Kabul’s Taimani district. «It would take real heroism to bring someone to justice who is in the cabinet or the parliament.» Shahwali, 51, agreed, «If Sarwari had men and arms like other criminals, not only would he not have been tried, but [President Hamed] Karzai would have named a street after him.» Mohammad Jawad Sharifzada and Salima Ghafari are IWPR staff reporters in Kabul.