- Title: IRAQ: HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS
- Date: 16th May 2004
- Summary: (U2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 16, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV AHMED KHATAB, WALKING INTO THE OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT IRAQI HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION 'PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES UNION' WHERE HE HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST UNITED STATES SOLDIERS WHOM HE CLAIMS ABUSED HIM AT ABU GRHAIB PRISON 0.11 2. CLOSE OF SIGN READING " PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES UNION" 0.17 3. SLV KHATAB WALKING UPSTAIRS 0.29 4. SLV KHATAB LOOKING AT PICTURES OF MISSING DETAINEES 0.35 5. SCU KHATAB'S FACE 0.40 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AHMED KHATAB HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST U.S. SOLDIERS WHOM HE CLAIMS ABUSED HIM AT ABU GRHAIB PRISON WITH INDEPENDENT IRAQI HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION 'PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES UNION' SAYING: "They dragged me along the floor and trampled me with their feet and then, I threw up. After that, an American came, speaking in English, with a translator. At first, he put his shoes in my mouth and told me to confess. Then I told him I didn't know what to say. I told him 'I am just an ordinary man, doing my job. What do you want me to say? He said 'you have to tell me something'. If you don't we'll bring your wife over and hang her in front of you.'" 1.13 7. CLOSE OF KHATAB'S HAND 1.18 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) KHATAB SAYING "They took me to the lavatory and put my head in the toilet bowl. They urinated on my head and then dragged once more along the floor." 1.42 9. CLOSE OF KHATAB'S HAND 1.47 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KAHATAB SAYING: "This is the kind of democracy and freedom they claim to have. But it's the opposite of what they claim. Even Saddam and his regime didn't do that. They didn't blow up houses, they didn't take our women and drag them along the floor. He didn't abuse us and kill us like this. Go to Abu Ghraib, go and see." 2.25 11. S;V STEWART VRIESINGA, CANADIAN MEMBER OF 'CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS' WHO HAS COLLATED THE CASES OF SEVENTY TWO FORMER IRAQI DETAINEES CLAIMING TO HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY U.S. SOLDIERS 2.30 12. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEWART VRIESINGA, CANADIAN MEMBER OF 'CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS TALKING ABOUT THE U.S. MILITARY SAYING: "We know that they knew about these photographs and those cases that they had been putting pressure on U.S, media not to release this story and three months ago for fear of what it would do to public relations. We are concerned that they may also not be releasing innocent Iraqis again because of what their testimonies may do." 2.53 13. SLV VRIESINGA TALKING 3.00 14. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) VRIESINGA SAYING: "We continue to work on this issue. It would seem that pretty much, without exception, Iraqis have been treated as sub-human in a degrading and humiliating manner at least at some point during their detention." 3.17 15. CLOSE OF VRIESINGA HNAD 3.22 (U2) ABU GHRAIB , IRAQ (RECENT - MAY, 2004) (REUTERS) 16. WIDE/ PAN OF EXTERIOR PRISON 3.32 17. CLOSE OF PRISONER WAIVING A PINK TOWEL FROM THE PRISON WINDOW 3.39 18. CLOSE OF PRISONER WAIVING A HAND FROM PRISON WINDOW 3.47 18. VARIOUS OF PRISON/BARBED WIRE 3.55 19. WIDE OF INTERIOR PRISON/ EMPTY PRISON CELLS 4.02 20. VARIOUS OF PRISON CELLS 4.11 21. WIDE/ PAN OF INTERIOR OF CELL 4.21 22. WIDE/ PAN OF US SOLDIER ON UPPER LANDING OF PRISON 4.27 23. SLV U.S SOLIDER ON PATROL OUTSIDE PRISON 4.32 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 31st May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, ABU GHRAIB , IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA5QLA90BKK3J3T6AJNKYE5U863
- Story Text: Human rights groups are concerned that Iraqi
prisoners may not be released because of what their
testimonies might do.
Ahmed Khatab, a plumber from Baghdad, wanted to tell
his story, and so he walked up the steps of the 'Prisoners
and Captives Union', an independent Iraqi human rights
organisation, and told them everything.
He told them he had been arrested in November last year
by U.S. soldiers who walked into his friend's barber shop,
in Baghdad's Sunni district of Adhamyia, where he was
chatting to his friend.
He said they gave no reason and just took him to one of
the Saddam's former palaces to be questioned. He was moved
from there to the police academy and, less than a week
after the arrest, he was jailed at Abu Ghraib prison, west
of Baghdad.
Three days before the first court martial of Specialist
Jeremy Sivits, a U.S soldier charged with abusing detainees
at the prison, he described what some of the soldiers did
to him in Abu Ghraib.
"They dragged me along the floor and trampled me with
their feet and then, I threw up. After that, an American
came, speaking in English, with a translator. At first, he
put his shoes in my mouth and told me to confess. Then I
told him I didn't know what to say. I told him 'I am just
an ordinary man, doing my job. What do you want me to say?.
He said 'you have to tell me something'. If you don't we'll
bring your wife over and hang her in front of you'," Khatab
said.
Sivits is accused of taking part in the abuses in Abu
Ghraib prison. He will be facing a court martial on
Wednesday (May 19). His court martial is expected to last
two days at most.
Six other U.S. service members face trials through the
military justice system, which is separate from state and
federal criminal courts.
Khatab did not name any of the soldiers whom he claims
abused him but he feels they should be severely punished.
"They took me to the lavatory and put my head in the
toilet bowl. They urinated on my head and then dragged once
more along the floor," Khatab said.
The scandal of military police systematically
humiliating and terrifying Iraqis at the Abu Ghraib prison
has punctured U.S. credibility in promoting rights. If
Khatab had any faith in US democratic principles, they have
been shattered for ever.
"This is the kind of democracy and freedom they claim
to have. But its the opposite of what they claim. Even
Saddam and his regime didn't do that. They didn't blow up
houses, they didn't take our women and drag them along the
floor. He didn't abuse us and kill us like this. Go to Abu
Ghraib, go and see," he said.
Khatab was released without charge just over two months
after if arrest.
A senior U.S. military official said on Tuesday (May
18) that the trial of seven soldiers for the detainee abuse
would not be a show trial but show that justice will be
done.
However Stewart Vriesinga, of the international human
rights group 'Christian Peacemaker Teams', says although he
believes it is right they should be brought to trial, the
publicity surrounding the scandal could jeopardise the
lives of many Iraqis still detained by the U.S. military.
He believes that upper echelons of the U.S. army
pressured the media not to publish the photographs and
worries now that seriously abused prisoners will not be
released for fear they could further tarnish the image of
the United States armed forces.
"We know that they knew about these photographs and
those cases that they had been putting pressure on the U.S.
media not to release this story and three months go for
fear of what it would do to public relations. We are
concerned that they may also not be releasing innocent
Iraqis again because of what their testimonies may do,"
Vriesinga said.
He says 'Peacemaker' has collated information on 72
cases of prisoners who say they were abused by the
soldiers. It is one of several organisations trying to file
complaints against the US military. Vriesinga says he plans
to meet a senior US figure, appointed by Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz on Wednesday in an attempt to
persuade the US military to accept these cases as evidence
in future trials.
What he has heard from the former detainees leaves no
doubts in his mind. "We continue to work on this issue. It would
se
em that
pretty much, without exception, Iraqis have been treated as
sub-human in a degrading and humiliating manner at least at
some point during their detention," Vriesinga said.
Three more US soldiers will be arraigned on Wednesday
morning before Sivits' trial.
They are: Corporal Charles Graner, 35, of Uniontown,
Pennsylvania, faces a general court martial on charges of
cruelty, maltreatment, adultery, dereliction of duty,
assault, indecent acts and obstruction of justice.
Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick, 37, of
Buckingham, Virginia, is set for arraignment on Thursday,
May 20 in a general court martial on charges of
maltreatment of detainees, conspiracy to maltreat,
dereliction of duty, assault and indecency.
Sergeant Javal Davis, 26, of Maryland, faces a general
court martial on charges of maltreatment of detainees,
conspiracy to maltreat, dereliction of duty, assault and
lying in an official statement.
The Pentagon did not immediately release charge sheets
for three others in the case. The cases of these three have
not so far been referred for court martial. They are:
Private Lynndie England, 21, of Fort Ashby, West
Virginia, faces criminal charges including one count of
conspiring to maltreat prisoners, three counts of
assaulting prisoners by battery and conduct discrediting
the service.
Specialist Sabrina Harman, 26, of Alexandria, Virginia,
faces criminal charges stemming from the taking of
photographs, the filming of inmates who were ordered to
strip in front of others, photographing a corpse and
attaching wires to an inmate's hands while he stood on a
box with his head covered.
Specialist Megan Ambuhl, 29, Centreville, Virginia,
faces criminal charges including maltreatment of prisoners
and conspiracy.
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