Jump to page content

Afghanistan: Human Rights organization criticizes ongoing practice of transferring detainees to torture prisons

last updated Mar 19, 2012

On Saturday 17 March 2012, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) with cooperation of the US-based Open Society Foundations published a report, titled “Torture, Transfers, and Denial of Due Process: The Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees in Afghanistan”. The report condemns the ongoing practice of U.S. forces, outside the ISAF structure, of transferring detainees to facilities which have been alleged to use torture.

After last year's UN report on evidence of torture in several Afghan prisons, the NATO-led international forces (ISAF) suspended the transfer of detainees to Afghan facilities, were they could be subject to torture or ill-treatment and established a monitoring program for detainee transfers. However, this program does not apply for U.S. forces outside the ISAF command chain.


The report has stated that there is evidence of torture and ill-treatment in several cases such as “beatings, suspension from the ceiling, electric shocks, threatened or actual sexual abuse, and other forms of mental and physical abuse” as well as evidence of other violations of detainees’ rights under the custody of Afghan intelligence and police services.


Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC): Torture, Transfers, and Denial of Due Process: The Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees in Afghanistan


New York Times: Groups Report on the Continued Transfer of Detainees to Afghan Prisons

Facebook