British woman urges govt. to help releasing deatined husband in Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The wife of a British national held without charge in Iraq for a year called on the government today to step up its efforts to secure his charge or release, according to Associated Press. Ramze Shihab Ahmed, a 68-year-old dual Iraqi-British national who has lived in London since 2002, was arrested by security officials in a relative’s house in Mosul on December 7 2009. Ahmed, who had travelled to Iraq to try to secure the release of his detained son Omar, was held in secret detention for nearly four months before being able to contact his wife. He has alleged that he was tortured by his interrogators – including electric shocks to his genitals and suffocation with plastic bags. On the eve of the first anniversary of Ahmed’s detention his wife Rabiha al-Qassab said: “I can hardly believe that a whole year has gone by with my husband in jail like this. It’s disgraceful what they’re doing to him. He doesn’t even know what he’s accused of.” She said that her husband had recently been told by an Iraqi judge that the case is to be reinvestigated. While welcoming this news she said the Iraqi authorities must now state whether they will charge her husband or release him. “The UK ought to be saying this as well,” she said. “I appreciate the fact that William Hague has raised the case with the Iraqi authorities, but I’d really like to see more being done now that a year has passed. “Why couldn’t Hague insist that he must be either released or properly charged by Christmas?” Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “This shocking case has dragged on for far too long and we need to see the Iraqi authorities resolving it without further delay. “This man and his family have suffered enough. The torture allegations must be investigated and Ramze should be properly charged or released. The sooner, the better.” In September Amnesty published a report showing that an estimated 30,000 detainees were held without trial in Iraq, many of whom had recently been transferred from US custody. There are fears that many have suffered torture and other forms of ill-treatment. SH (S) 1