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| [PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Duran / U.S. Army] |
By RFER/RL
Kabul: Afghan officials have denied claims by the United Nations
that prisoners in government custody were being tortured.
Interior Ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi acknowledged
there were cases of "misbehavior" on the part of policemen and prison
guards but said the government had no policy of torture.
Hesamuddin Hesam, the acting director of the National
Directorate of Security, said those interviewed by the UN Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA) had "lied."
In its report released on January 20, UNAMA said more than
half of prisoners interviewed had complained of ill-treatment or torture in
detention facilities.
In an interview with RFE/RL on January 21, Georgette Gagnon,
the head of the Human Rights Unit of UNAMA, said there was no political
motivation behind the report.
Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the
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Washington DC 20036.