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Amnesty Details Rights Abuses in Iraq 10 Years After Saddam Toppled

A U.S. soldier watches as a statue of Iraq's President Saddam Hussein falls in central Baghdad in this photo dated April 9, 2003.

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Selah Hennessy

March 11, 2013

LONDON — Human rights abuses are rife in Iraq ten years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, according to a report published by Amnesty International on Monday.

The Amnesty report looks at human rights violations it says were carried out against detainees and prisoners by Iraqi security forces and U.S.-led coalition forces.

The invasion of Iraq was partly justified on human rights grounds, but since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein little progress has been made on improving the justice system, said Carsten Jurgensen, Amnesty International's Iraq researcher. "One might say, on the one hand side, that many Iraqis enjoy more freedoms than under Saddam Hussein's rule, but a state based on rule of law, respect for basic human rights, has not been established."

Anti-government armed groups, including those linked to al-Qaida, pose a continuing security threat in Iraq and are responsible for widespread abuses, he added.

Amnesty calls on Iraq's authorities to respect international human rights law even as it works to bring those armed groups to justice. It says thousands of Iraqis are detained without trial or are serving prison sentences imposed after unfair trials.

And since the death penalty was reinstated in 2004, Iraq has become one of the world's leading executioners, it says, with 129 prisoners hanged in 2012. Detainees are widely mistreated, said Jurgensen. "People are tortured in order to coerce them to confess. We then have many cases documented where then these confessions are used in trials against suspects and harsh penalties are then imposed, including the death sentence,"

There was no immediate reaction from the Iraqi government and Amnesty says authorities did not respond to requests for comment on early drafts of the report.

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by: omer othman from: Baghdad

March 12, 2013 1:31 AM

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dear sir,
we are calling for change Martin Kopplar for his take injustice side of al-Malkki , not for the side of people of Iraq. we call for another one well-known of his truthfully and sincerity, and justice our Iraqi People not take the side of regime, Dictator Ruler ( Al-Malikki) the Iranian dependent, whom take all his order feom Iran government! Please, you have to know we are not belong to Iran or one of its governorates, We are Iraq not Iran, so we also want another ruler widespread the democracy, just, and peace in Iraq, a wise-man love his people and his country make to real development a man of a good decision-maker for the benefit of his people not a faked one like Al-malkki whom work for Iranian government and take root especially of Iraqi sunni out of Iraq!
Support Sunni People! Do your effort to spread peace and give help for sunni people!

by: bushra al-ubaidi from: Baghdad

March 12, 2013 1:05 AM

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Al- Malkki and his swat teams persecute People of Iraq for the benefit of Iran, they are killing and doing all kind of terrors for sunni sect in order to get red of them, he is regime ruler and injustice.

we are people of Iraq losing the minimum level of human rights. they abuse innocent detainees whether from men, women, or children. kill without mercy.
we appeal all the people of this world to help, support us!