TWO Ukrainian merchant seamen who were arrested for oil smuggling in Iraq last August claim they were tortured in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail, a human rights official said today.
Tanker M/V Navstar captain Mykola Mazurenko and first mate Ivan Soshchenko were extradited to Ukraine last week and "are in serious condition ... their return to Ukraine was just in time", Vladimir Sharov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian human rights ombudsman, said.
Mr Sharov said they were tortured at Abu Ghraib, the Baghdad prison at the epicentre of allegations that coalition forces in Iraq have abused prisoners, but he declined to specify whether US forces allegedly were involved.
Mr Mazurenko and Mr Soshchenko were arrested last year by the British navy in the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr for alleged oil smuggling and sentenced to seven years in prison by an Iraqi court.
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,9929092%255E1702,00.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
