Karzai Appoints a Delegation on US-run Secret Jail Probe

Afghan president Hamid Karzai appointed a delegation on Saturday for an investigation on a secret additional prison in Bagram where prisoners are allegedly tortured by the US forces

President Karzai has ordered an investigation about the reality of a secret jail in Bagram where prisoners are said to be illegally held while their human rights are not being respected by the US forces.

The detainees in the prison were reportedly tortured, including exposure to excessive cold and light, not given sufficient food or blankets, and deprived of sleep.

The delegation is comprised of high-profile officials in the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the Judicial Consultative Board of the Presidency headed by the Minister of Justice.

The delegation is assigned to carry out extensive investigations within two weeks and report it to the president's office, a Press Release by the Afghan Presidency says.

Meanwhile, human rights organisations in Afghanistan have voiced concerns about reports about the condition of Afghan prisoners in a secret jail in the US-run Bagram airfield.

Head of the Afghan Human Rights Organisation (AHRO), Lal Gull has said his organisation has received reports claiming that inmates were tortured and abused in the prison.

Numerous Afghans are behind bars in Bagram airbase, located in the northern part of the Afghan capital Kabul, and it is expected that the control of the prison will be handed over to the Afghan government soon.