Canada ignored report on Afghan prison abuse-paper

Source: Reuters

More OTTAWA, April 25 (Reuters) - Canada played down allegations that Afghan authorities were torturing prisoners handed over by Canadian troops, even though a secret government report showed such abuses were common, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

The Conservative government -- under increasing pressure over reports that suspect Taliban militants were beaten, whipped and mistreated after being transferred -- says the allegations are rumors and nothing has been proven.

But a secret report on human rights in Afghanistan prepared last year by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs says "extrajudicial executions, disappearances, torture and detention without trial are all too common". Extracts were published in the Globe and Mail.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- who says his critics care more about the rights of the Taliban than about the 2,500 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan -- made it clear on Tuesday that the soldiers would continue to hand over detainees.

One leading expert on international law says if the allegations are proven, then

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25278062.htm

Source: Reuters

Canada presses Kabul over prisoner abuse reports
25 Apr 2007 20:27:39 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Releads with government pressing Kabul, opposition anger)

By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA, April 25 (Reuters) - Canada's government, under increasing
pressure over allegations that Afghan authorities torture prisoners
handed over by Canadian troops, said on Wednesday it had demanded
answers from Kabul.

The announcement by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor was a marked
change in tone from Ottawa, which has until now played down the
allegations and referred to them as rumors.

O'Connor spoke hours after a newspaper published a secret internal
report showing the minority Conservative government was aware last
year that detainees were regularly abused in Afghanistan.

International conventions prevent a country from handing over
prisoners if there is reason to suspect possible abuse. One leading
expert on international law says if the allegations are proven,
then Canada is guilty of war crimes.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25309937.htm