Secret Baghdad Jail Held Sunnis From the North
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: April 21, 2010
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi security force under Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s direct command held hundreds of detainees from northern Iraq in an undisclosed prison in Baghdad, torturing dozens of them, until the country’s human rights minister and the United States intervened late last month, Iraqi and American officials said.
Mr. Maliki ordered the prison closed and said he had been unaware it existed, according to the officials. His move brought the release of 71 detainees and the transfer of others to established prisons, but more than 200 remain in the place, on the grounds of the Old Muthanna military airfield, in northern Baghdad. All of the detainees were apparently Sunni Muslims.
American diplomats visited the prison on Wednesday, the officials said, and pressed Mr. Maliki’s government to investigate the circumstances of its creation and the treatment of detainees there, originally 431 in all.
In an interview, the minister of human rights, Wijdan Salim, praised Mr. Maliki for moving to close the prison and to order an investigation of what happened inside.
“He’s doing the best he can,” Ms. Salim said. “The problem we have is not with the prime minister, it’s with the judicial system.”
But the existence of the prison, first reported in The Los Angeles Times on Monday and widely repeated in the Iraqi media, enraged Sunni political leaders, who accused Mr. Maliki’s government of trampling the rule of law.
The disclosure bore striking similarities to the discovery of a secret underground prison in 2005 that had been operated by the police in Baghdad at the height of Iraq’s sectarian conflict.
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: April 21, 2010
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi security force under Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s direct command held hundreds of detainees from northern Iraq in an undisclosed prison in Baghdad, torturing dozens of them, until the country’s human rights minister and the United States intervened late last month, Iraqi and American officials said.
Mr. Maliki ordered the prison closed and said he had been unaware it existed, according to the officials. His move brought the release of 71 detainees and the transfer of others to established prisons, but more than 200 remain in the place, on the grounds of the Old Muthanna military airfield, in northern Baghdad. All of the detainees were apparently Sunni Muslims.
American diplomats visited the prison on Wednesday, the officials said, and pressed Mr. Maliki’s government to investigate the circumstances of its creation and the treatment of detainees there, originally 431 in all.
In an interview, the minister of human rights, Wijdan Salim, praised Mr. Maliki for moving to close the prison and to order an investigation of what happened inside.
“He’s doing the best he can,” Ms. Salim said. “The problem we have is not with the prime minister, it’s with the judicial system.”
But the existence of the prison, first reported in The Los Angeles Times on Monday and widely repeated in the Iraqi media, enraged Sunni political leaders, who accused Mr. Maliki’s government of trampling the rule of law.
The disclosure bore striking similarities to the discovery of a secret underground prison in 2005 that had been operated by the police in Baghdad at the height of Iraq’s sectarian conflict.
The senior American military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, said that American officials had raised concerns about the prison with the Iraqi government.
“We believe the government of Iraq is aware of the need to conduct a thorough investigation of this incident and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” he said in a statement.
The public disclosure in this case could have political ramifications for Mr. Maliki. It comes at a crucial moment when he is trying to rally enough support after last month’s inconclusive election to ensure a second term as prime minister.
The prisoners were arrested by the Baghdad Brigade, a security force controlled by Mr. Maliki’s office, not by the military or the police. The prison was operated by the Baghdad Operations Command, which oversees security in the capital. A spokesman for the command did not respond to repeated requests for comments.
Both the brigade and the command have faced criticism in the past for acting outside the law and giving Mr. Maliki unconstitutional power.
“We believe the government of Iraq is aware of the need to conduct a thorough investigation of this incident and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” he said in a statement.
The public disclosure in this case could have political ramifications for Mr. Maliki. It comes at a crucial moment when he is trying to rally enough support after last month’s inconclusive election to ensure a second term as prime minister.
The prisoners were arrested by the Baghdad Brigade, a security force controlled by Mr. Maliki’s office, not by the military or the police. The prison was operated by the Baghdad Operations Command, which oversees security in the capital. A spokesman for the command did not respond to repeated requests for comments.
Both the brigade and the command have faced criticism in the past for acting outside the law and giving Mr. Maliki unconstitutional power.
Iraq Investigating Claims of Sunni Abuse in Prison
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 22, 2010
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 22, 2010
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi officials are investigating claims that detainees, believed to be mostly Sunnis, were tortured at a makeshift prison in Baghdad, in a case that has outraged the country's Sunni minority, Iraqi officials said Thursday.
The deputy human rights minister, Kamil Amin, said that three army officers have been arrested in connection with the case. An Iraqi who said he was in the prison described being beaten, tortured with electric shock treatment and smothered with a plastic bag.
The case, which was first reported Monday by the Los Angeles Times, has angered the country's Sunni population who see it as another example of persecution by Iraq's Shiite-led government.
The charges come at a delicate time, as the country waits to see who will take the lead in forming the next government: a coalition with extensive Sunni support, or a Shiite-dominated bloc led by the current prime minister.
The incident also raises chilling comparisons with the revelation in 2005 of a secret prison run by the Shiite-dominated security forces in Baghdad where Sunnis were tortured.
In the ensuing years of sectarian battles in the capital, Sunnis repeatedly accused security forces of actively aiding, or at least turning a blind eye to Shiite death squads.
The deputy human rights minister, Kamil Amin, said that three army officers have been arrested in connection with the case. An Iraqi who said he was in the prison described being beaten, tortured with electric shock treatment and smothered with a plastic bag.
The case, which was first reported Monday by the Los Angeles Times, has angered the country's Sunni population who see it as another example of persecution by Iraq's Shiite-led government.
The charges come at a delicate time, as the country waits to see who will take the lead in forming the next government: a coalition with extensive Sunni support, or a Shiite-dominated bloc led by the current prime minister.
The incident also raises chilling comparisons with the revelation in 2005 of a secret prison run by the Shiite-dominated security forces in Baghdad where Sunnis were tortured.
In the ensuing years of sectarian battles in the capital, Sunnis repeatedly accused security forces of actively aiding, or at least turning a blind eye to Shiite death squads.
The buildings where the prisoners were held was part of a row of barracks on an Iraqi army base at the city's Muthanna airport, hidden from the nearby main road by two rows of concrete blast walls.
The buildings themselves were encircled by further blast walls topped with concertina wire, while the windows bricked up from the inside.
It was unclear exactly how much oversight there was of the facility although Amin said prisoners had access to judges and their families.
U.S. military and embassy officials visited the prison Wednesday, said an embassy spokesman, Armand Cucciniello.
''What is alleged is disturbing. We have raised with senior Iraqi government officials our concerns regarding its existence and allegations of the abuse of detainees there, and urged the Iraqi government to conduct an investigation,'' he said.
Amin said the Minister of Human Rights visited the prison in March after hearing the complaints and talked with prisoners there who alleged they were subjected to torture. The minister submitted complaints to the Ministry of Justice and the prime minister's office.
The buildings themselves were encircled by further blast walls topped with concertina wire, while the windows bricked up from the inside.
It was unclear exactly how much oversight there was of the facility although Amin said prisoners had access to judges and their families.
U.S. military and embassy officials visited the prison Wednesday, said an embassy spokesman, Armand Cucciniello.
''What is alleged is disturbing. We have raised with senior Iraqi government officials our concerns regarding its existence and allegations of the abuse of detainees there, and urged the Iraqi government to conduct an investigation,'' he said.
Amin said the Minister of Human Rights visited the prison in March after hearing the complaints and talked with prisoners there who alleged they were subjected to torture. The minister submitted complaints to the Ministry of Justice and the prime minister's office.
Iraq investigating claims of Sunni abuse in prison
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRAThe Associated Press Thursday, April 22, 2010; 3:38 PM
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRAThe Associated Press Thursday, April 22, 2010; 3:38 PM
BAGHDAD -- Iraqi officials are investigating claims that detainees, believed to be mostly Sunnis, were tortured at a makeshift prison in Baghdad, in a case that has outraged the country's Sunni 
minority, Iraqi officials said Thursday.
The deputy human rights minister, Kamil Amin, said that three army officers have been arrested in connection with the case. An Iraqi who said he was in the prison described being beaten, tortured with electric shock treatment and smothered with a plastic bag.
The case, which was first reported Monday by the Los Angeles Times, has angered the country's Sunni population who see it as another example of persecution by Iraq's Shiite-led government.
minority, Iraqi officials said Thursday.The deputy human rights minister, Kamil Amin, said that three army officers have been arrested in connection with the case. An Iraqi who said he was in the prison described being beaten, tortured with electric shock treatment and smothered with a plastic bag.
The case, which was first reported Monday by the Los Angeles Times, has angered the country's Sunni population who see it as another example of persecution by Iraq's Shiite-led government.
The charges come at a delicate time, as the country waits to see who will take the lead in forming the next government: a coalition with extensive Sunni support, or a Shiite-dominated bloc led by the current prime minister.
The incident also raises chilling comparisons with the revelation in 2005 of a secret prison run by the Shiite-dominated security forces in Baghdad where Sunnis were tortured.
In the ensuing years of sectarian battles in the capital, Sunnis repeatedly accused security forces of actively aiding, or at least turning a blind eye to Shiite death squads.
The incident also raises chilling comparisons with the revelation in 2005 of a secret prison run by the Shiite-dominated security forces in Baghdad where Sunnis were tortured.
In the ensuing years of sectarian battles in the capital, Sunnis repeatedly accused security forces of actively aiding, or at least turning a blind eye to Shiite death squads.
U.S. military and embassy officials visited the prison Wednesday, said an embassy spokesman, Armand Cucciniello.
"What is alleged is disturbing. We have raised with senior Iraqi government officials our concerns regarding its existence and allegations of the abuse of detainees there, and urged the Iraqi government to conduct an investigation," he said.
"What is alleged is disturbing. We have raised with senior Iraqi government officials our concerns regarding its existence and allegations of the abuse of detainees there, and urged the Iraqi government to conduct an investigation," he said.
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