Torture complaint challenges Iraq constitution
15 Aug 2005 11:10:19 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Michael Georgy

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GEO537406.htm

BAGHDAD, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iraq's draft constitution
will enshrine democracy, its framers and their U.S.
sponsors say; but allegations on Monday of torture in
prisons raised troubling questions over human rights
in the new Iraq.

In a video released by a senior local government
official, 20 men who said they were held as suspected
insurgents by Interior Ministry forces displayed welts
and bruises and alleged they were beaten and given
electric shocks among other tortures.

Just as a 1990 charter imposed by ousted President
Saddam Hussein promised equal rights and the rule of
law, but did not stop genocidal killing and torture,
so the value of the constitution that may be presented
on Monday will lie in how far fine words translate
into reality in an Iraq riven with sectarian and
ethnic strife.

It was not possible to verify the allegations endorsed
by Awf Rahoumi, a deputy governor of Diyala province,
northeast of Baghdad, where sectarian tensions between
once dominant Sunni Arabs and majority Shi'ite Muslims
have been running high.

"They gave me electric shocks here," said one man,
naked in the video, as he pointed to his genitals.

An Interior Ministry spokesman, asked about the video,
said there had been no evidence of abuse in Iraqi
prisons.

New York-based Human Rights Watch accused the new
Iraqi police and security forces in January of the
systematic use of arbitrary arrest, torture and
ill-treatment of detainees and said the authorities
have failed to investigate violations.

FRUSTRATIONS WITH POLITICIANS

Standing shirtless to show apparent welts and bruises,
the men in Rahoumi's video said they were beaten with
cables, given electric shocks and hung from the
ceiling by hands bound behind their backs in Interior
Ministry custody for up to three months.

Rahoumi, appearing in the film himself at what he said
was the scene of the torture, voiced frustration with
politicians who have spent weeks arguing over the new
constitutional draft, concentrating on the issue of
regional autonomy and federalism:

"I swear to God I will hit them over their heads with
their federalism," said Rahoumi.

Aides to the deputy governor said he and a group of
local policemen employed by the provincial authorities
freed the men at the central government-run detention
centre, run by the Interior Ministry, after learning
they had been abused.

It was not clear how they were freed, where the prison
was located nor what the men, described as labourers,
are doing now.

"So far we have had no tangible evidence of abuse of
prisoners in Iraqi jails. The Minister of Interior
always orders security forces to respect human
rights," said an Interior Ministry spokesman. "We are
ready to take action against anyone who has been
proven to have taken such actions."

Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, a member of one of the
Shi'ite Islamist parties in the government coalition,
has strenuously denied accusations that police and
other ministry staff have been allowed to carry out
sectarian reprisals against members of the Sunni
minority that dominated Iraq under Saddam.

Videos, press conferences and accusations of torture
and killings have become part of a propaganda campaign
between opposing groups along Iraq's sectarian and
ethnic divides.

"We know everything that's happening and there is a
limit to our patience," said Rahoumi, who like the
suspects, is a Sunni.

"I will meet with the interior minister and tell him
and I will send an e-mail to the Pentagon."

Article 22(a) of the Iraqi constitution of 1990
stated: "The dignity of man is safeguarded. It is
inadmissable to cause any physical or psychological
harm." The charter also assured "no punishment, except
in conformity with the law" and equal rights.

But arbitrary arrest, torture and summary execution
went on until the fall of Saddam in 2003, human rights
groups say.

Saddam faces a trial later this year over the killing
of Shi'ite villagers and is expect to face genocide
charges later.

These days, security forces and militias operate in
the bloody chaos of suicide bombings, assassinations
and kidnappings which have killed thousands of people,
many of them members of the new security forces.
Ministers insist, however, that they are fighting the
insurgency without resort to illegal methods.

As Rahoumi sat in what he said was the scene of the
torture, one of the men began to weep as he showed
them his bruises.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

US fights fresh Abu Ghraib images

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4149840.stm

The first Abu Ghraib pictures brought worldwide
condemnation (AP Photo/Courtesy of The New Yorker)
The US government is trying to stop fresh images of
prisoner abuse in Iraq being made public, claiming
they will aid the insurgency, court papers show.

US civil liberties groups have launched a lawsuit to
force the release of 87 pictures and four videos
showing abuse at Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iraqi brothers say they were beaten and abused by
British soldiers
Published: 16 August 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article306275.ece

British troops in Iraq are facing new allegations of
abusing prisoners in the weeks after the 2003
invasion.

Two brothers have claimed they were beaten with sticks
and deprived of water and sleep. One of the men also
alleges a British soldier urinated on his head.

In tonight's BBC Newsnight programme, the brothers
Marhab and As'ad Zaaj-al-Saghir allege they were
abused by British soldiers who raided their home in
Basra two years ago. They say troops stole their
family car and cash, before taking them to a British
base where they were denied water and sleep. They say
they were later they were beaten and abused.

In the programme, Marhab says: "They lowered me down
... while I was tied up, threw me on the floor and hit
me with a stick. You couldn't draw breath afterwards
and I lost consciousness. I thought they would throw
water over us but he got his penis out and urinated on
my head." He added: "If I'd had a weapon I'd have
killed myself."

The brothers have yet to make an official complaint,
and the only corroboration of their allegations are
forms issued by the US Army, which show they were
eventually released without charge from the Umm Qasr
camp. But their account is similar to other
allegations contained in a confidential Red Cross
report. The report said inmates at the camp were
"routinely treated by their guards with general
contempt, with petty violence". One man said he was
held without charge for more than two months, during
which he was punched by troops, and forced to make
animal noises.

The Ministry of Defence told the programme it had
investigated 177 complaints against British troops.
Most involved shootings in which troops said they were
returning fire.

Meanwhile, the enforced return of failed
asylum-seekers to Iraq is due to begin within weeks
despite the continuing security crisis. Refugee groups
said more than 40 Iraqis have been picked up and sent
to detention centres to await their repatriation to
the Kurdish-run north of Iraq.

The Home Office said last night that no one would be
returned to areas considered dangerous, but the
planned removals fly in the face of United Nations
advice.

For several years Iraqi Kurds have been among the
largest ethnic groups claiming refuge in Britain, and
a handful have voluntarily returned home since the
2003 invasion. Although David Blunkett, the former
home secretary, said nearly two years ago that he
wanted to start enforced returns shortly, no one has
so far been sent back against their will. Over the
past week, however, Iraqi Kurds have been rounded up
in raids around the country.

A Home Office spokes-woman declined to say how many
were being held but confirmed that deportations would
begin within weeks. "We will implement enforced
returns to areas assessed as suitable and where
individuals are assessed as not being at risk."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





___________________________________________________________
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo!
Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com