§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have on the numbers of prisoners of war held by the Northern Alliance and others outside the control of the government of Afghanistan who have died, been released and are still imprisoned; and whether they accept that the condition and future prospects of those prisoners reflects on the honour of the allied powers. [HL846]
§ Baroness AmosBritish Embassy staff in Kabul are in frequent contact with the ICRC, which monitors closely the situation and welfare of all prisoners in Afghanistan. However, the ICRC cannot provide full reports.
A number of prisoners have been released from Shiberghan prison since February. According to our most recent information, around 1,200 men are still being held there.
We are concerned about reported conditions in prisons across Afghanistan and have made clear to the Afghan Transitional Administration, which includes former Northern Alliance members, that we expect them, as the responsible authority for prisoners in Afghanistan, to respect their international obligations. This includes treating their prisoners humanely and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and international human rights law.