Amnesty alleges torture of Iraqis by coalition forces

Human rights organisation Amnesty International today presented a memorandum to US civil administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer alleging ill treatment of local people by coalition forces.

It said it had received reports of torture or ill treatment including sleep deprivation, prolonged restraint in painful positions, sometimes combined with exposure to loud music, hooding and exposure to bright lights, and inhumane detention conditions.

Mahmoud Ben Romdhane, head of the organisation’s delegation to Iraq, said that after more than 100 days of occupation, the promises of human rights for all Iraqis had yet to be fulfilled.

“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,” he said.

Cases alleged by Amnesty include:

:: Khreisan Khalis Aballey, 39, and his father, 80, arrested at their home on April 30. Khreisan was allegedly hooded and handcuffed and made to stand or kneel facing a wall for nearly eight days while he was being interrogated. He suffered from sleep deprivation as a bright light was placed next to his head and distorted music was playing. His knees bled so he mostly stood and by the end he said his leg was swollen to the size of a football. His father was held in the cell next to him and could hear his son’s screams.

:: Dr Suhail Laibi and his son, Ahmad, detained on May 15 for having a pistol in their car. Dr Suhail was released from Abu Ghraib Prison on June 14 and told his son had been transferred to Nasiriya. On his arrival there, he found no information about his son and an officer warned him against going to the prison camp because he might be arrested. Continuing his search on his return to Baghdad, Dr Suhail was finally informed by an officer that his son was in Camp Bucca. But this same officer had no idea where this was. After 66 days in detention, Ahmad was finally released on July 20.

Former detainees said people detained by coalition forces were held in tents in the extreme heat and not provided with sufficient drinking water or adequate washing facilities.

People also described how soldiers smashed their way into cars and cupboards even when their owners offered keys. There are also numerous reports of confiscation of property, including large sums of money, upon arrest. This property is not returned upon release.

The organisation said it had documented several incidents of shooting at Iraqi demonstrators by US soldiers in disputed circumstances. “While it is true coalition forces are dealing with complex situations... they must still abide by international standards,” Amnesty said.

US forces shot 12-year-old Mohammad al-Kubaisi as they carried out search operations around his house on June 26, the organisation said. Mohammad was carrying the family bedding up to the roof when a soldier shot at him from the opposite house. The boy was still alive when neighbours tried to rush him by car to the nearby hospital but they were stopped by soldiers in a tank on the way. The soldiers forced the neighbours to the ground and after 15 minutes ordered them to return home because the curfew had started. Mohammad was already dead, the organisation said.

As part of the legal reforms introduced by the occupying powers, the Iraqi courts no longer have jurisdiction over any coalition personnel in relation to civil and criminal matters, the organisation said.

Mr Ben Romdhane said: “Given the nature of the allegations emerging from the occupation of Iraq, the coalition provisional authorities (CPA) must urgently clarify to the public what are the disciplinary and criminal mechanisms to hold members of the CPA and coalition forces to account.

“The CPA must carry out competent, independent and impartial investigations into individual cases – nothing less will suffice.”