Families of Taji detainees complain about their maltreatment

SALAH AL-DIN /Iraqi News Several families of the detainees held in Salah al-Din’s al-Taji prison have complained about their maltreatment after the handover of the prison’s control to the Iraqi Justice Ministry. Speaking to Iraqi News, a brother of one of the inmates, Ali Ibrahim Saleh, said that during his visit to his sibling this week he noticed a noticeable change in the behavior of the prison guards, whom he said used electric batons, wires and shoes to beat the prisoners. Verbal abuse was also reported, according to Saleh. Saleh added that the inmates in Taji prison suffer from the poor quality of food and the lack of drinking water. According to statistics, more than 2,900 prisoners are waiting for their release in al-Taji prison. Tikrit, the capital city of Salah al-Din province, lies 175 km north of Baghdad. SS (P)/SR 3