Al-Mutlaq accuses Iraq Security Forces of raping and torturing female Iraqi prisoners

Hamed Al-Mutlaq, an official in Al Iraqiya List, accused the security forces, on Monday, of raping and torturing female Iraqi prisoners, considering such acts to be more “disgraceful” than American practices in Abu Ghraib prison. He also held the highest three authorities responsible for these incidents.

“Security Forces committed violations against female inmates including rape and torture” pointing out “the tendency to arrest women instead of their husbands or brothers for terrorism charges via a secret informant”, Al Mutlaq said in a press conference held on Monday in the parliament and covered by Alsumarianews.

Al-Mutlaq added that 12 women, including two youngsters one aged 11 and the other 12, have been arrested in Taji region on the third of this month. He considered “such acts to be more “disgraceful” than American practices in Abu Ghraib prison.

The official in the Iraqi National List held the highest three authorities “responsible for such acts” and warned against “the negative repercussions it might have on the national unity Project”.

On Saturday (Nov, 24th 2012), Iraqi National List MP Ahmed Al-Alwani revealed that many Iraqi female inmates have been subjected to “rape” by the investigators in an attempt to make them confess forcefully. He also mentioned that the women couldn’t reveal the truth about such acts because they feared scandalous exposure. Al-Alwani assured that his List will ask the head of the parliament to form a committee to look into this case.

The Iraqi Ministry of Justice had announced on November 21, that it wasn’t responsible for rape and torture of female prisoners in return of confessions, mentioning that investigations are carried out in prisons related to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior Affairs.

Kurdistan Alliance announced on November 20that the Parliament formed two investigation committees to look into “violations” against female prisoners in many prisons and security violations in Al-Basra prisons. Iraqi National List MP Hamed Al-Mutlaq held the highest three authorities and the judicial authority responsible for the infractions that take place in prisons, stressing that many torture related deaths have been reported among women, men and children.

In a report issued on May 15th 2012, Human Rights Watch accused the Iraqi government of taking Iraq back to the era of “totalitarian governance” and “torturing prisoners”, highlighting that the government still runs a prison which was announced closed more than a year ago. The organization urged the government to reveal the name and location of all the prisoners and to release those who weren’t accused of any crime. The government denied all accusations and insisted the prison is shut down.

The Amnesty International revealed in a report issued on September 12th, 2011, that there are more than 30 thousand detainees who haven’t been convicted in Iraqi prisons and suspected they underwent torture and abuse. In addition to this, many detainees have died during incarceration due to torture and abuse inflicted by investigators and wardens who refuse to reveal the names of their prisoners.