I’m happy to share good news today: Qusay ‘Abdel-Razaq Zabib, a former police officer detained without charge in Iraq for over two years, has been released.
His case was detailed in Amnesty International’s September 2010 report New Order, Same Abuses: Unlawful Detentions and Torture in Iraq. According to the report:
“Qusay ‘Abdel-Razaq Zabib, a 36-year-old police officer in ‘Uwaynat village near Tikrit, married with two children, was arrested on 17 July 2008 by US soldiers after he was summoned to attend a meeting at the police station where he worked.
He was taken to a US military post in Tikrit and held there for 21 days, then transferred first to Camp Cropper for three weeks and then Camp Bucca, where he was held for 11 months. He was then moved to Camp Taji for a month, then back to Camp Cropper for six months, then to Camp Taji once more, apparently because he was suspected of collaborating with armed groups.
On 3 March 2010, a few weeks before the Iraqi government assumed control of Camp Taji, the US military recommended that he be released but in early July he was still detained there, without charge or trial, and now in the custody of the Iraqi authorities. His family are able to visit him but two years after his arrest it remains unclear how long he will continue to be detained in the absence of any charges brought against him.”
Amnesty International called on the authorities to either charge and fairly try Qusay, or release him.
Qusay thanked Amnesty International for campaigning on his behalf and said that he plans to undertake training at a police academy in Baghdad and return to his former role as a police officer.
Of course, Amensty International’s campaigning to end unlawful detention and torture in Iraq continues. Amnesty’s report estimated that 30,000 people are detained without charge in Iraq. One of them is Walid Yunis Ahmad, held for over ten years without charge. Hopefully, with your help, we’ll have good news on his case soon.