TV confession show prompts Iraq probe

[Barrett808]

TV confession show prompts Iraq probe
By Luke Baker

Baghdad - Iraq's human rights ministry is investigating allegations of abuse in the making of a popular television series that shows insurgents confessing to crimes including rape, kidnapping and execution.

Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar Amin said the probe focused on evidence of verbal abuse of suspects, but could be extended to include physical abuse and torture, accusations that have been levelled at Iraq's security forces.

"Individuals have raised concerns after seeing verbal abuse of suspects as well as bruises on their bodies and that sort of thing," Amin told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

"We are looking at all these TV shows right now and we are studying them from a human rights point of view. Things should be done in accordance with human rights standards and principles and we are going to make sure that those norms are respected."

Amin said a report would be made to the interior and justice ministries after the investigation.

The TV series, called Terrorism In The Grip Of Justice, airs almost nightly on Iraqiya, Iraq's US-funded national network, and shows men sitting before an interrogator, whose face is not show, confessing to crimes in precise detail.

Some defendants have appeared with cuts and bruises on their faces and what looked like bloodstains on their clothes.

(more)

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=2813&click_id=2813&art_id=qw1112623740923B262&set_id=6

[SnowGoose]

1. This was mentioned on riverbendblog

Her URL is: www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com

She mentions watching these shows which always portray a sunni, and typically feature a confession of crimes of a particularly unseemly nature (e.g. rape, sexual intercourse in a mosque), and goes on to say that they do not come across as believable.

FWIW

[Nevilledog]

2. That's just horrifying! eom

[UpInArms]

3. confessions made under duress or torture

publicized on television will only make the Iraqi people less trusting and will do nothing to bolster the US image.

More stupidity from the wizards of OZ :eyes:

[hootinholler]

4. So when does Fox pick up the show? N/T

[alcuno]

5. You just could tell this would be the next chapter.

It's so obvious.

[rocktivity]

6. What, already???

By the way, those prisoners had better have SAG-AFTRA cards!

:rofl:
rocknation

[NNN0LHI]

7. They hate us for our freedoms n/t