‘Charge Saddam or release him’

COALITION authorities must file charges against Saddam Hussein or release him when sovereignty is transferred to the Iraqi government on June 30, the International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday.

Under international and military law, prisoners of war and civilian internees should be released at the end of the conflict and occupation, unless there are charges against them, said spokeswoman, Nada Doumani.

Saddam's case is comparable to that of any other prisoner of war a status conferred on him by the detaining authorities, she said.

"If he is not charged, then the law says that at the end of war, of occupation, he should be released," Doumani said.

American forces say as many as 1,400 detainees will either be released or transferred to Iraqi authorities by the June 30 handover of power. The Americans will continue to hold between 4,000 and 5,000 prisoners deemed a threat to the coalition, the military said.

However, Ms Doumani said it remains to be seen whether the occupation effectively ends with the handover of sovereignty, stressing that "the situation on the ground determines the facts".

Although Iraqis will run their own affairs after June 30, tens of thousands of coalition troops will remain in the country to help improve security under a UN resolution approved unanimously by the Security Council.

After the handover of sovereignty, detainees held by the Iraqi authorities will be subject to Iraqi law.