AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE

April 27, 2005
One year after the Abu Ghraib photographs shocked the world, Amnesty International continues to receive reports that abuse of detained Iraqis continues. According to testimony received by Amnesty International, US interrogators have participated in questioning prisoners held at the Iraqi Interior Ministry, a location at which detainees have repeatedly alleged torture and ill-treatment.

For example, 'Ali Safar al-Bawy, an Iraqi resident in Sweden, was picked up by police on a family trip to see relatives in July 2004 and was detained without charge for three weeks. During an interrogation in the basement of the Interior Ministry, he was beaten and given an electric shock so intense it threw him across the room. 'Ali believes that a member of the US military was present during his interrogation.

"People around the world will be recalling the horrific images they saw a year ago and wondering what happened to those prisoners. Did they receive redress for the crimes against them? A few low-ranking soldiers have been prosecuted or disciplined, but what was the role of those higher up, including, for example, the Secretary of Defense?" said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. "The US government must set up an independent inquiry into all aspects of detention and interrogation practices and allow independent monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN experts, access to all detainees in US custody. When a major power resorts to torture or ill-treatment, other countries may see a green light to follow suit."

While a handful of soldiers have been court-martialled for their role in high-profile abuses, senior administration officials have remained free from independent scrutiny, despite having authorized practices amounting to torture or ill-treatment. Not one US agent has been charged under the federal Anti-Torture Act or War Crimes Act, whether for abuses committed in Abu Ghraib or Camp Bucca in Iraq, Bagram in Afghanistan, or elsewhere.

Torture was rife under Saddam Hussein, and the war in Iraq was meant to bring about a new chapter in human rights, but instead Amnesty International has received reports of detainees being tortured by the Iraqi police. In February 2005 three men died in custody after being arrested at a police checkpoint. The bodies of Majbal 'Adnan Latif, his brother 'Ali, and 'Aidi Mahassan Lifteh were found three days later, bearing clear marks of torture from beatings and electric shocks.

In another alarming development in Iraq, a national television channel, Al-Iraqiya, is broadcasting "confessions" by alleged "terrorists". Amnesty International is particularly concerned about such "confessions" as detainees are invariably held incommunicado. People who have watched the shows say the detainees show signs of torture, including bruises and swollen faces. Few Iraqi officials have been prosecuted for serious abuses of detainees.

Amnesty International calls for the anniversary of the publication of the Abu Ghraib photographs to be marked by the strongest condemnation of all forms of torture by the US and Iraqi governments. One year on, the US authorities must establish an independent investigation into the abuses and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Amnesty International USA is organizing a yearlong Denounce Torture campaign, beginning with nationwide actions for June 26, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Furtherinformation

Send this page to a friend

Your Email:
Friend's Email:
Add a Message:
Security code: (case sensitive)