Iraq: Amnesty Documents Prison Abuse

A new report from Amnesty International documents the systemic abuse of prisoners in the Iraqi prison system: “The focus of this report is the unlawful detention, enforced disappearance and torture or other ill-treatment of thousands of people since 2003 by the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq and the Iraqi authorities. Some have been held arbitrarily, without charge or trial, for seven years. Some remain held even though Iraqi courts or investigative judges have ordered their release for lack of evidence or adequate grounds to imprison them. Thousands are still in prison despite the 2008 Amnesty Law, which provides for the release of uncharged detainees after six or 12 months depending on the case.”

According to Amnesty, the situation has only deteriorated since the U.S. handed over control of its prisons to Iraq authorities following the end of combat operations last month. “Iraq’s security forces have been responsible for systematically violating detainees’ rights and they have been permitted to do so with impunity” Malcolm Smart, Amnesty Middle East and North Africa director, told Al-Jazeera.