Coalition forces accused of human rights abuses in Iraq
Amnesty International today claimed that human rights abuses are still taking place in Iraq despite the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
In a report, which it is presenting to senior US official Paul Bremer in Baghdad today, it details allegations of ill treatment and torture by coalition forces in Iraq.
Amnesty policy officer Neil Durkin told Dehavilland today: “Many of the abuses that we have catalogued are from the American side.” However, the organisation has not ruled out British involvement.
Some of the allegations include prolonged sleep deprivation, restraint in painful positions, exposure to loud music and bright lights, and sensory deprivation such as hooding.
Mahmoud Ben Romdhane, head of Amnesty’s delegation to Iraq, said: “The Iraqi people have suffered for long enough – it is shameful to still hear of people who are being detained in inhumane conditions without their family knowing where they are and with no access to a lawyer or a judge – often for weeks on end.”
Detainees are also alleged to have been kept in tents in the extreme heat without sufficient drinking water or adequate washing facilities.
And there have been reports of confiscation of property and money upon arrest, which has not been returned on release.
Amnesty blames many of the problems on the fact that soldiers and military police do not have the necessary skills for civilian policing, and there are problems with the lack of clarity over the legal situation in post-war Iraq.
Since legal reforms were introduced by the US-led coalition, the Iraqi courts do not have the power to prosecute military personnel, leading Amnesty to call for greater accountability among the coalition forces.
The pressure group has welcomed some of the measures taken by the US and UK governments, including the suspension of the death penalty. However, it insists that the concerns it has raised in today’s report are “well grounded” and require full investigation by the coalition authorities.
There has been no formal response from the coalition forces at this stage, although officials are now involved in talks with Amnesty representatives in Baghdad.
