Human Rights Watch is urging President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan not to sign into law a bill that it says would make securing a conviction in cases of violence against women, almost impossible.
The BBC reports the bill was passed by the Afghan parliament last year.
According to HRW it states:
"The following people can't be questioned as witnesses ... relatives of the accused."
The group said this would effectively protect abusers since most women were abused by male members of their family.
it said the proposed legislation would run counter to a law on Elimination of Violence Against Women passed in 2009.
