O'Connor must resign over torture of prisoners, says Green Party

Afghan authorities torturing detainees handed over by Canadian forces unacceptable. OTTAWA - The Green Party has called for the resignation of Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor following revelations that Afghans detained by Canadian forces and handed over to Afghan authorities were brutally tortured during interrogation. "In the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, Mr. O'Connor has given repeated assurances that prisoners captured by Canadian troops have not been mistreated," said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. "It is now clear that he either knew about the torture and wasn't telling or that he avoided learning the truth so that he could continue to deny, deny, deny. Either way, he is unfit to continue as Minister for Defence." The Globe and Mail reported today on face-to-face interviews with 30 men recently captured by Canadian forces in Kandahar province and then sent to local prisons for interrogation by Afghanistan's intelligence police. The newspaper quoted the men as saying that they were beaten, whipped, starved, frozen, choked and given electric shocks during questioning. "In the face of these terrible revelations, the federal government must now stop stalling and launch a full independent civilian inquiry into the treatment of Afghan prisoners detained by Canadian troops," said the Green Party spokesperson on international relations and global security, David Chernushenko. Chernushenko said the government should also move immediately to:

• Suspend all prisoner transfers until an effective and verifiable Prisoner Treatment and Verification Agreement has been negotiated with Afghan authorities.
• Make financial reparations to torture victims and families of prisoners who have disappeared after being in Canadian custody.
• Fund and maintain, in partnership with the Afghan government, a database to track the status and location of Afghan prisoners and provide timely updates on their whereabouts and condition to family members.

"Contrary to the stated beliefs of the Prime Minister, support for the Geneva Convention is not tantamount to support for the Taliban," said Ms. May. "It is not a choice between supporting fundamental human rights and supporting our troops. "How do we protect our troops if they are taken captive when we have shown contempt for the Geneva Convention? How do we call ourselves a decent nation?" -30- Contact: Camille Labchuk Press Secretary 613-882-4761