Iraqi committee to investigate prison abuse

A special committee set up by Iraq’s prime minister today began an investigation into allegations of widespread abuse and torture in Iraq’s prisons, which is threatening to become a major issue ahead of January 30 national elections.

The probe by an eight-member committee comes as Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-dominated government has been trying to contain a series of scandals involving human rights abuses in Iraqi prisons. It is the second such committee formed this month.