31 October 2011

According to a United Nations report released on 10 October 2011, the use of torture on prisoners is ‘systematic’ in Afghanistan.
The UN report is the most comprehensive look at the Afghan detention system to date. It paints a devastating picture of abuses perpetrated during interrogations by Afghan intelligence and police officials, even though US and EU donors provide training and pay for nearly the entire budget of the Afghan ministries running the detention centres.
The report does not assess whether international officials knew of the abuses; but since it is difficult to believe that the foreign funds intended for the Afghanistan detention centres have been disbursed with total lack of control and oversight, such widespread use of torture raises serious questions about potential complicity or carelessness by international officials.

1. Is the Vice-President/High Representative aware of the abhorrent violation of human rights denounced by the UN report?
2. How does the Vice-President/High Representative intend to proceed in order to rectify what is a clear lack of supervision of the funds concerned or, at worst, possible external complicity in acts of torture and mistreatment of Afghan detainees?

E-010257/2011

Question for written answer E-010257/2011
to the Commission
Rule 117
Pino Arlacchi (S&D), Cornelis de Jong (GUE/NGL), Keith Taylor (Verts/ALE), Richard Falbr (S&D), Barbara Matera (PPE), Harlem Désir (S&D), Giommaria Uggias (ALDE), Erminia Mazzoni (PPE), María Muñiz De Urquiza (S&D), Raül Romeva i Rueda (Verts/ALE), Gianni Pittella (S&D), Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D), Marietta Giannakou (PPE), Rolandas Paksas (EFD), Ivo Vajgl (ALDE), Rui Tavares (Verts/ALE) and Jaroslav Paška (EFD)

[source:www.europarl.europa.eu]