Detainees Tortured in Secret Iraq Jail

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Having trouble viewing this email? Click here. April 29, 2010 Follow us on           Detainees Tortured in Secret Iraq Jail Officials Involved at All Levels Should Face Trial Iraqi authorities systematically and routinely tortured detainees at a secret prison in Baghdad. Detainees were hung upside down, nearly suffocated with dirty bags, beaten with belts and other implements until they passed out, and then revived with electrical shocks. Security officials pulled out fingernails and broke teeth. The 42 prisoners, interviewed Monday by Human Rights Watch, also gave accounts of sodomy and rape. The physical evidence – the welts and scars on their bodies -- appeared fresh. The detainees, accused of aiding and abetting terrorism but not charged with any crimes, were Sunni Arabs from the Mosul area. The prison, in the old Muthanna airport in West Baghdad, was under the control of the Shi'ite-led Iraqi government. The responsibility doesn't just lie with the torturers, but up the chain of command. Read the stories of the abused » Photo: © 2010 Human Rights Watch Zambia's Jails Breed Danger, Disease Overcrowding, Poor Care Hastens Spread of TB, HIV to Prisoners, Staff In Zambia's prisons, space is so tight that inmates sleep seated or in shifts. Yet more than one-third of prisoners haven't been convicted of any crime, and many spend years awaiting trial, exacerbating overcrowding. They risk beatings at the hands of guards or fellow inmates. The water is dirty, no soap is provided, and blankets crawl with lice. As punishment in some prisons, prisoners are stripped naked and placed in a small, windowless cell flooded with ankle-high water and no toilet, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch and two local partners. Overcrowding, poor ventilation, almost non-existent medical care, and an HIV prevalence of 27 percent make Zambia's prisons ripe for the spread of tuberculosis and potentially deadly drug-resistant tuberculosis. This puts both Zambia's prisoners and the communities they return to at risk. Prison authorities say they are open to improving the system. But Zambia will need donor support to ensure it has the resources to make the necessary changes.  Read more » Photo: © 2010 João Silva   Masses Rally to Support Spain's Garzón On Saturday, 60,000 people marched through the streets of Madrid— as many others did in cities around Spain and the world—to call for justice for Franco-era atrocities and for a halt to criminal proceedings against Judge Baltasar Garzón, who had been trying to investigate those abuses.  At the rally to end the march, Human Rights Watch's Reed Brody was the featured speaker. The march, and the movement behind it, was triggered by a criminal investigation against Judge Garzón for looking into alleged cases of illegal detention and enforced disappearances of more than 100,000 victims between 1936 and 1952. Read more » Photo: © 2010 Reuters Most Popular Headlines Rwanda: Allow Human Rights Watch to Work The Rwandan government's decision to deny a work visa to Human Rights Watch's representative in Kigali demonstrates a pattern of increasing restrictions on free expression in Rwanda ahead of August's presidential elections. Sudan: Flawed Elections Underscore Need for Justice Political repression and human rights abuses across Sudan - in addition to widespread logistical failures and technical irregularities - marred Sudan's first multi-party elections in more than 20 years. The re-election of President Omar al-Bashir has no legal effect on the International Criminal Court charges pending against him. Saudi Arabia: Free Forgotten Prisoners At least four Saudi, Yemeni, and Pakistani prisoners in al-Ha'ir prison, south of Riyadh, still remain in prison a month to three months after having completed their sentences. Editor's Picks Burma: After Cyclone, Repression Impedes Civil Society and Aid The Burmese government continues to deny basic freedoms and place undue restrictions on aid agencies, despite significant gains in rehabilitating areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis two years ago. Bringing Schools Up to the Standards of Prisons by Shantha Rau Barriga The Huffington Post Over two hundred thousand kids are punished in US schools each year by being paddled. One in five of them has a disability. No child should be paddled in school, but it is hard to imagine anything more outrageous than paddling or hitting children because of their disability -- and that is what is happening. Middle East/Asia: Partial Reforms Fail Migrant Domestic Workers The reforms undertaken by Middle Eastern and Asian governments fall far short of the minimum protections needed to tackle abuses against migrant domestic workers. Despite recent improvements, millions of Asian and African women workers remain at high risk of exploitation and violence, with little hope of redress. Videos Dignity Overdue: Decent Work for Domestic Workers Podcasts Rights Watch: Injustice and Disease in Zambia's Prisons Thank you for voting for HRW – so far, we're leading the people's choice category. For those who haven't voted, Friday's the last day! Publications World Report 2010 Purchase a bound copy of the edition Download PDF "I Want to Help My Own People" State Control and Civil Society in Burma after Cyclone Nargis Slow Reform Protection of Migrant Domestic Workers in Asia and the Middle East Unjust and Unhealthy HIV, TB, and Abuse in Zambian Prisons Home | Take Action | Donate Privacy

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