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The four victims had their clothes burned before being publicly humiliated
in the Zawra Park
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BAGHDAD,
April 26 (ISlamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The United States was
at the center of a new human rights row after four alleged Iraqi thieves
were paraded naked in a Baghdad park by U.S. occupation forces on
Friday, April 25.
The
humiliating spectacle of young men running to hide their shame was
captured by aT photographer for Norway's Dagbladet
newspaper, which quoted a U.S. officer as saying the deterrent was
effective.
However,
Amnesty International in London criticized the inhumane treatment and
promised to raise the matter urgently with the United Nations next week,
Mirror newspaper reported on Saturday, April 26.
"If
these pictures are accurate, this is an appalling way to treat
prisoners. Such degrading treatment is a clear violation of the
responsibilities of the occupying powers, said Director Kate Allen said.
"Whatever
the reason, these men must at all times be treated humanely. The U.S.
authorities must investigate this incident and publicly release their
findings," He added.
The
four victims had their clothes burned before being publicly humiliated
in the Zawra Park which is said be plagued by thieves trying to reach
U.S. weapons store, said Mirror.
The
degraded prisoners had the words "Ali Baba, Haram'' - "Thief,
Unclean" - scrawled in Arabic on their chests,
The
Geneva Convention stated that "protected persons are entitled to
respect."
"They
shall at all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected against
insults."
"Successful"
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One
of the naked with the words - "Thief,
Unclean" scrawled in Arabic on his chest
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The
Americans claim that over the last few days several hundred Iraqis have
tried to get into the park and U.S. troop patrols have been stepped up
around the clock.
Group
Commander Eric Canaday, of 10th Engineer Corps, is quoted in Dagbladet
as saying, "I think our job is to keep people out of the park to
prevent theft of weapons."
Lt
Canaday added: "We have talked with the Iraqi inhabitants. Some of
them gave us the idea so we took the clothes and burned them before we
pushed them out with thief written on their chest. It was quite
successful.''
The
U.S. soldiers were seen chasing the Iraqi men shouting "Ali Baba,
Ali Baba". All four ran as fast as they could to hide their
nakedness, according to onlookers.
Three
of the young men got away but 20-year-old Zian Djumma came back with his
head bowed down after he put on grey shorts which he found in a looted
house.
He
told Dagbladet, "This was terrible. Now I only want to go home and
find a hand grenade and throw it at the soldiers. Not only against those
who did it to us but at everybody. I hate the Americans for this.''
Djumma
said the four friends had gone into the park through an open gate
looking for a missing 15-year-old boy.
But
the Americans said the four were carrying a bag with spare parts for
weapons.
