“Secret detention is the gateway to torture. History shows that when people are taken off the books, they become vulnerable to mistreatment, torture and even ‘disappearance.’” Reed Brody, Special Counsel to Human Rights Watch
Revelations that U.S. forces hid dozens of Iraqi detainees from the International Committee of the Red Cross require an independent investigation, Human Rights Watch said today.
U.S. Army investigators told Congress on Thursday that detainees at Baghdad’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison—ranging from two dozen to as many as 100—were hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency, which refused repeated requests to cooperate with two Pentagon probes. Keeping detained belligerents from the ICRC violates the Geneva Conventions and subjects them to potential abuse.
U.S. Army investigators told Congress on Thursday that detainees at Baghdad’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison—ranging from two dozen to as many as 100—were hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency, which refused repeated requests to cooperate with two Pentagon probes. Keeping detained belligerents from the ICRC violates the Geneva Conventions and subjects them to potential abuse.
Please continue ...