The ICRC: monitoring Iraq´s prisons

[maddezmom]

In an interview with Radio Netherlands, ICRC spokesperson Antonella Notari talks about the controversy sparked by shocking pictures reportedly taken inside the largest detention facility in Iraq, Abu Ghraib prison:

"We do visit regularly Abu Ghraib prison ever since the coalition forces are detaining Iraqi prisoners in this prison. Every five to six weeks there is a team of the ICRC visiting the prison. We speak with each of the prisoners of our choice, in private. We register the prisoners and we inspect the whole facilities of Abu Ghraib to see for ourselves what services are put to the disposal of the prisoners."

RN: "One of the persons involved in the present controversy, Brigadier-General Janis Karpinski, the former head of the military police in the prison, has stated that there were efforts by military intelligence officers to try and prevent the ICRC from visiting a specific part of the prison, known as cellblock 1A. What did you notice of such efforts?"

"There may have been such efforts but if there were, they did not succeed. We are convinced that we were able to see all the prisoners, the whole facility of Abu Ghraib, to speak to any prisoner of our choice."

"It's very important to underline that these private talks with the prisoners are one important source of information for the delegates to know how the prisoners are being treated, what problems they encounter, and to compare from the various testimonies these prisoners give us if there is in fact a problem in the prison that concerns either their treatment or the conditions of detention, or any other aspects, their relations with guards, etc. This information from prisoners and other information that we get through our own observations in the prison <…> help us to compile the reports that we submit to the authorities."
~snip~
http://www.rnw.nl/hotspots/html/irq040504.html

interesting interview