"They left me standing for hours, handcuffed and hooded. Then I was kicked very hard in the stomach, which was followed by continuous beating with a stick and with their boots until I fell unconscious. I only woke up after they poured over my head very cold water," said one former prisoner.
He said he was then abused in groups with other detainees, forced to carry out exhausting exercises and beaten or doused with cold water whenever they fell to the floor. They were not permitted to use the toilet and allowed only two hours sleep.
"I saw a young man of 14 years of age bleeding from his anus and lying on the floor. He was Kurdish and his name was Hama. I heard the soldiers talking to each other about this guy. They mentioned that the reason for this bleeding was inserting a metal object in his anus."
The Iraqis in question appear to be represented by Public Interest Lawyers, a UK firm specializing in international human rights law. The firm is currently involved in litigation on behalf of Iraqi civilians killed by coalition troops in Iraq.
Obviously, Iraqis should have full access to the law, but I haven't seen anything like this before during an active conflict -- have you?! I wonder how many other law firms are pursuing similar cases? Perhaps it could even be seen by some as a "new front" in the war, considering how much of an impact this could have on public opinion. Hm...
