COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION CENTRE FACTS ABOUT IRAQ HUMAN RIGHTS: Widespread Torture

Amnesty International (AI) has called many times on the Iraqi authorities to put an end to the systematic torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners.

In a report published by Amnesty International -- Iraq: Systematic torture of political prisoners -- the organization paints a grim picture of routine torture, whereby horrendous physical and psychological suffering is inflicted upon political prisoners and detainees.

"Victims of torture in Iraq are subjected to a wide range of forms of torture, including the gouging out of eyes, severe beatings and electric shocks," said Amnesty International, based on interviews with hundreds of torture victims in Iraq over the years. "Some victims have died as a result and many have been left with permanent physical and psychological damage."

AI said that other methods of torture include extinguishing of cigarettes on various parts of the body, extraction of finger nails and toenails and piercing of the hands with an electric drill. Some have been sexually abused and others have had objects, including broken bottles, forced into their anus. In addition to physical torture, detainees have been threatened with rape and subjected to mock executions.

Over the years many victims of torture have been Shia Muslims from Baghdad or from Southern Iraq. AI highlighted the fate of al-Shaikh Nazzar Kadhim al-Bahadli, a 29-year-old theology student from Saddam City, a district of Baghdad, is typical. He was arrested in 1999 and was tortured for long periods in the building of Saddam City Security Directorate. His wife, father and mother were reportedly brought to the building in August 1999 and were tortured in front of him to force him to confess to being one of those responsible for the April 1999 disturbances in Saddam City. He was said to have confessed in order to spare his relatives any further torture. They were released following his confession but he was sentenced to death later and executed at the beginning of 2001.

Amnesty International said that torture is used against other political opponents and army and security officers suspected of dissidence or involvement in coup attempts. AI's report also documents torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial executions of women. In its report AI highlighted the cases of may victims. One included “UM Hayder”:

“A 25-year-old woman known as "Um Haydar" was beheaded in the street without charge or trial at the end of December 2000 after her husband, who was suspected by the authorities of involvement in Islamist armed activities, fled the country. Um Haydar was taken from her house in al-Karrada district, in front of her children and mother-in-law, by men belonging to Fedaiyye Saddam. Two men held her by the arms and a third pulled her head from behind and beheaded her in front of the residents. The beheading was also witnessed by members of the ruling Ba'ath Party in the area. The security men took the body and the head in a plastic bag and took away the children and mother-in-law. Their fate remains unknown.”

From BBC Correspondent: Mother of All Ironies, Broadcast 23 June 2002

Kamal who was employed by Saddam Hussein, throughout the nineties, to torture his enemies to confess “crimes”. Having been captured by the Kurds he told the BBC that if someone didn’t break, they’d bring in the family:

Kamal:

“They’d bring the son in front of his parents who were handcuffed or tied and they’d start off with simple tortures such as cigarette burns and then if his father didn’t confess they’d start using more serious methods. They’d tell the father that they’d slaughter his son. They’d bring a bayonet out and if he didn’t confess they’d kill the child.”

“The interrogator has the right to perform all kinds of atrocities such as cutting off a child’s ear or amputating limbs. You can even make a kebab out of the child’s body.”

Iraq: Stop the Torture, Amnesty International 2001

Iraq :Systematic torture of political prisoners, Amnesty International 2001