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January 21, 2013

U.N. Investigators Find Ongoing Torture in Afghanistan 
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A new U.N. report says the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan is not
only continuing but may be on the rise. Investigators say they have
uncovered ongoing abuses in Afghan prisons, including the beating of
detainees with cables and hanging them by their wrists. More than half
of prisoners interviewed said they had been tortured, higher than the
previous rate of 24 percent in 2011. The report also cites an unnamed
Afghan official confirming prisoners are being held at secret detention
sites to avoid international scrutiny. Last week the U.S. military said
it had halted the transfer of detainees to some Afghan prisons over
ongoing torture.

 

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