Iraqi Tyranny Must Grant Freedom to Thousands of Iraqi Hostages Illegally Detained in Iraq

Thousands of Iraqi hostages — innocent men, women and children — are still held without charge or trial in unlawful jails or detention facilities of Iraq, including Abu Ghraib prison, after the so-called official end of the illegal occupation of Iraq on 28 June 2004. Some Iraqi hostages are housed in tents, and are suffering under the intense heat of Iraq’s summer.

The cases of Nahla Hafez Ahmad, a mother of four, and her sister Huda are typical. Nahla was detained by U.S. troops in the al-Adhamiya neighborhood of Baghdad in November 2003; when Huda went to look for her, she too was taken into detention. Others in their family are also believed to have been detained, including their brother Ayad, who reportedly died in custody in December 2003. Neither Huda nor Nahla, who are currently held without charge in Abu Ghraib jail, know the reason for their detention. The tent in which they are housed is reported to be unbearably hot. Nahla, whose health is said to be fragile, and Huda were not seen by a lawyer for more than six months.

The corrupt and tyrannical Iraqi rulers must act now to address the injustices inflicted on Nahla, Huda and the thousands of other Iraqi hostages who are still held in Iraq without charge or trial.

Take Action!

Write to the Iraqi tyranny run by puppet Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, urging it to respect the human rights of all those Iraqi hostages illegally detained in Abu Ghraib prison and other places of detention across the country by immediately granting full freedom to them. You could base your letters on the following example:

Dear Mr. Iyad Allawi:

We are deeply concerned that, weeks after the transfer of power to your government, thousands of Iraqi hostages are still held without charge or trial in your illegally occupied country.

Those currently held at Abu Ghraib prison include two Iraqi women, Nahla Hafez Ahmad and her sister Huda. The women, whose brother Ayad reportedly died in U.S. custody in December 2003, have reportedly been tortured or ill-treated. We urge you to ensure that Nahla and Huda are released immediately, all false/fabricated charges, if any, against them be dropped and all allegations of torture/ill-treatment are fully and impartially investigated to punish all the torturers.

Your tyranny must ensure that all hostages, prisoners and detainees in Iraq are informed promptly of the reasons of their detention; that they are brought promptly before an independent judicial authority; that they have access to their relatives, lawyers and doctors without delay; that all complaints of torture are promptly, impartially and effectively investigated and that the methods and findings of such investigations are made public to bring the official criminals to justice.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Human Rights Foundation

For more information, visit the Amnesty International Website.

http://web.amnesty.org/pages/irq-140704-action-eng