French ISIL Suspects Transferred from Syria Allegedly Tortured in Iraqi Prisons

French Lawyers Visit Detained ISIL Suspects in Baghdad, Report Abuse

Lawyers for 47 French nationals accused of being part of the Islamic State (ISIS) have visited their clients in detention in Iraq, alleging that they are being subjected to “torture and inhumane treatment”. The lawyers, Marie Dose and Matthieu Bagard, met with 13 of the detainees during a two-day visit, which began on Sunday. According to the lawyers, the men reported being slapped, strangled, handcuffed behind their backs using a pulley system, and threatened with rape with iron bars.

The abuse, allegedly inflicted to make the detainees confess to their presence in Iraq, was said to be part of an effort to establish jurisdiction for Iraqi authorities to try them for their alleged crimes. The lawyers stated that the accused ISIL members claimed they had not been in Iraq before their arrest in Syria and transfer to Baghdad.

During their visit, the lawyers also reported on the conditions under which the detainees were held in northeastern Syria prior to their transfer. Four French inmates died due to illness and “severe deficiencies” while being imprisoned in those facilities, and they were interrogated by US agencies, including the FBI and CIA.

The transfer of ISIL detainees from Syria to Iraq is part of a larger agreement between the US military and Iraqi authorities. The move was prompted by concerns that escaped detainees could regroup and pose a security threat. So far, 275 prisoners have been transferred, with thousands more planned to follow under the arrangement.

Source: Al Jazeera