Torture reaches new depths in Iraq
New report blames government, militias with atrocities
09/21/06 "AP" --- - GENEVA - Torture in Iraq is reportedly worse
now than it was under deposed president Saddam Hussein, the
United Nations' chief anti-torture expert said Thursday.
Manfred Nowak described a situation where militias, insurgent
groups, government forces and others disregard rules on the
humane treatment of prisoners.
"What most people tell you is that the situation as far as
torture is concerned now in Iraq is totally out of hand," said
Nowak, the global body's special investigator on torture.
"The situation is so bad many people say it is worse than it has
been in the times of Saddam Hussein."
Nowak, an Austrian law professor, was in Geneva to present a
report on detainee conditions at the U.S. prison camp in
Guantanamo Bay, as well as to brief the UN Human Rights Council,
the global body's top rights watchdog, on the situation of
torture in countries around the world.
He said that some allegations of torture in Iraq he received
were undoubtedly credible.
Government forces were among the perpetrators, Nowak said,
citing ``very serious allegations of torture within the official
Iraqi detention centres.
"You have terrorist groups, you have the military, you have
police, you have these militias. There are so many people who
are actually abducted, seriously tortured and finally killed,"
Nowak told reporters at the UN's European headquarters. "It's
not just torture by the government. There are much more brutal
methods of torture you'll find by private militias."
Nowak has yet to make an official visit to Iraq, and said such a
mission would not be feasible as long as the security situation
was so dangerous. He based his comments on interviews with
people during a visit to Amman, Jordan and other sources.
"You find these bodies with very heavy and very serious torture
marks," he said. "Many of these allegations, I have no doubt
that they are credible."
Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers
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