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.