Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD2255
2007-07-08 07:26:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

KHADHAMIYA WOMEN'S PRISON: NO SIGNS OF ABUSE, BUT

Tags:  PHUM KDEM PGOV PINR KJUS KWMN IZ IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5917
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2255/01 1890726
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 080726Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2092
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 002255 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV PINR KJUS KWMN IZ IS
SUBJECT: KHADHAMIYA WOMEN'S PRISON: NO SIGNS OF ABUSE, BUT
SERVICES LACKING

REF: A) FBI IIR 4 201 3817 07 B) BAGHDAD 0001 C)
BAGHDAD 2012 D) BAGHDAD 1378 E) BAGHDAD 1584

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D).

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 002255

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV PINR KJUS KWMN IZ IS
SUBJECT: KHADHAMIYA WOMEN'S PRISON: NO SIGNS OF ABUSE, BUT
SERVICES LACKING

REF: A) FBI IIR 4 201 3817 07 B) BAGHDAD 0001 C)
BAGHDAD 2012 D) BAGHDAD 1378 E) BAGHDAD 1584

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D).


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: On July 3, PolOff and representatives
from the Department of Justice's (DOJ) International Criminal
Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) found no
evidence of torture or rape during an unannounced visit to
the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Khadhamiya Women's Prison. It
was the first visit by DOJ ICITAP officials in approximately
a month after a source alleged that Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) had
infiltrated the prison and was torturing, raping, and killing
inmates and prison staff onsite and offsite (ref A).
Numerous inmates within the predominantly Shiite prison
population, including two Iraqi-born, Israeli citizens held
since December 2006, uniformly reported that they had not
been abused, but complained about the impact of scarce
electricity on the prison's water supply. Members of a
Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) inspection team, also present
in the prison on July 3, told PolOff that they visit the
prison monthly. END SUMMARY.

--------------
INMATES INSIST NO TORTURE OR RAPE
--------------


2. (S/NF) During an unannounced visit on July 3 to the MOJ's
Khadhamiya Women's Prison PolOff and DOJ ICITAP
representatives performed a walkthrough of the entire prison
complex and spoke to numerous inmates who insisted they were
neither tortured nor raped at the facility, as a source with
direct access had reported. Out of sight of prison staff and
other inmates, one inmate "Naja'a" (strictly protect) said
she would be released in 30 days, and she had been treated
well throughout her entire prison term, which began in 2003.
She said that the warden had allowed her to phone her brother
who lives in Lebanon, and sometimes family members visit her
on Friday -- the visitation day.



3. (S) Also out of sight of prison staff and other inmates,
Hamzia Jumah Muhamad Amin Yaacov Baswari (aka: Rosa Baswari)
and Wafa Muhamad Amin Yaacov Amin Basrawi (aka: Iris Basrawi)
-- two Iraqi born, Israeli citizens, imprisoned at Khadhamiya
since December 2006 after being arrested while visiting Iraq
-- stated that the staff treat inmates "very nicely" and
there was "no abuse whatsoever." Hamzia said she is a
Muslim, who moved to Israel in 1977, but her husband had been
Jewish and all of her children are Jewish. Hamzia, who said
she is 63 years old and is Wafa's mother, complained that she
needs money for medicine, and said during the last three days
there was no electricity in the prison and very little water.
She also passed PolOff a note for DOJ ICITAP advisors that
asked for the "Ambassador to do anything about my case," and
said that she had been able to phone a son, who lives in
Israel, in January. (Note: Post has previously contacted the
Israeli government concerning the women's case, which was
referred to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, and continues
to monitor their condition. They were arrested and charged
with entry into a restricted area in November 2006 after
Iraqi police reportedly observed them taking photographs from
their hotel window in Baghdad. End note.)

-------------- ---
INMATES AND WARDENS COMPLAIN OF LACK OF SERVICES
-------------- ---


4. (C) All inmates that PolOff spoke to in the prison said
that they were not physically abused, but they consistently
complained about the heat and lack of electricity within the
building. One woman criticized the poor quality and quantity
of the meals, which she said consisted largely of "cheese and
tea" three to four times a day.


5. (C) Prison Warden Faiza and Deputy Warden Haider Zedan
complained that the prison's number one problem is the lack
of diesel fuel to run the prison's one working generator out
of four. They noted that the MOJ approved generator repairs
four months ago, but the actual repairs had not yet been
made. Warden Faiza said that with the MOJ's knowledge, the
prison acquires diesel fuel on the black market. She said
the resulting electrical shortage not only prevents the
prison's water pumps from working, but also keeps inmates
from conducting their main vocational activity -- sewing
security guard vests in the prison's sewing room. The
wardens also showed DOJ ICITAP representatives samples of 100

BAGHDAD 00002255 002 OF 003


vests that inmates had made before an electrical outage began
during the previous week. Deputy Warden Zedan said that the
prison needs a generator dedicated to the sewing room, and
the MOJ should petition the Ministry of Oil for a larger fuel
allocation. He stated it was difficult for the staff to
quell the inmates' anger over the lack of services, and
ideally, the prison would have a tank to hold fuel for the
generators.

--------------
REGULAR HUMAN RIGHTS INSPECTIONS AND VISITORS
--------------


6. (C) During a walkthrough of the entire prison complex,
PolOff encountered three female members of a MoHR inspection
team sitting with inmates on their bunks in one of the cells.
One inspector said that her team was studying how violence
causes women to become criminals, and around four months ago,
her team began visiting the prison monthly. She said that
the inmates did not complain of torture or rape, but of the
heat and the need for more supplies like medicine and
detergent. She added that her team was free to move
unrestricted to any part of the prison. The inspector stated
that Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim reads and has many
comments about their reports; however, she was uncertain of
any actions taken in response to their findings.


7. (C) In a separate conversation with PolOff, the inmate
Naja'a (strictly protect) said that throughout her
imprisonment, representatives from various governmental and
non-governmental groups, such as the Arab League, Sunni
Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Zowbaie, and women's rights NGOs
have regularly visited the prison. Naja'a said after Deputy
PM Zowbaie's visit in 2006, he gifted food to the inmates in
three installments over a month-long period and donated 10
million Iraqi dinars (approximately 10,000 USD) to the
prison.

-------------- --
PRISON BELOW CAPACITY, INMATES PRIMARILY SHIITE
-------------- --


8. (SBU) According to Warden Faiza, on July 3, the Khadhamiya
Women's Prison -- with a capacity of 183 -- had a population
of 173, with 172 women present, since one woman was
hospitalized with a terminal illness. Of the 154 adults, 93
were convicted and 61 were awaiting trial. Of the 19
juveniles, held under an agreement with the Ministry of Labor
and Social Affairs, 9 were convicted and 10 were awaiting
trial. There were also 15 babies accompanying their mothers.



9. (C) The inmate Naja'a (strictly protect) told PolOff that
the prison population is primarily Shiite -- with only 12
Sunnis and 5 Christians. (Note: Iraqi men's prison
populations are, in contrast, predominantly Sunni (ref C).
End Note.)


10. (C) When asked whether inmates were proceeding to trial
regularly, both Warden Faiza and Deputy Warden Zedan insisted
that they were only prison-keepers and they do not interfere
with cases, which are the MOJ's responsibility. When
pressed, Warden Faiza said that cases were proceeding to
trial and inmates sometimes were released. (Note: Khadhamiya
Women's Prison is holding death row inmates Wassan Talib,
Zaineb Fadhil, Liqa Omar, and Samar Saed Abdullah, whose
death sentences received international media coverage in
March. A CNN interview with Samar Saed Abdullah was
broadcasted in May. End note.)

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


11. (C) During the July 3 visit to Khadhamiya Women's Prison,
PolOff observed no evidence supporting allegations of
torture, rape, or killing at the facility itself. Prisoners
did not comment about abuse occurring offsite. Despite prior
reports of increasing JAM infiltration within the MOJ,
particularly within the Iraqi Correction Services (ICS),
which manages the ministry's prisons, the onsite treatment of
inmates appeared to be humane (ref B). Prisoners appeared
adequately nourished, and there were individual beds for each
prisoner. The physical plant and treatment of inmates at the
MOJ Khadhamiya Women's Prison appeared much better than the
crowded conditions and signs of physical abuse PolOff
observed at men's detention centers operated by the Ministry

BAGHDAD 00002255 003 OF 003


of Interior and the Ministry of Defense within the last
several months (ref D and E). Post will press MOJ ICS
officials to repair the prison's generators to help address
the shortages plaguing the power grid in the Khadhamiya
district of Baghdad, where the prison is located. END
COMMENT.
CROCKER