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Afghanistan to Take Over Bagram Prison

   VOA News 09 January 2010

Photo: David Axe

   Scene at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan

   Afghan  officials are set to take over responsibility for the U.S.-run
   detention facility at Bagram Air Base.
   Afghanistan's Defense Ministry announced that a transfer agreement was
   signed Saturday.
   The  site, near Kabul, has been used to hold detainees captured during
   the U.S. and NATO-led offensive against the Taliban beginning in 2001.
   A  new  facility was opened in November of last year, and was designed
   to  provide better living conditions for the inmates than the previous
   jail.
   Prisoner abuse was reported taking place at Bagram, including beatings
   and lengthy detentions without charge.
   Human  rights  groups  have  long criticized the facility, complaining
   that detainees are not given access to lawyers.
   The  U.S.  Defense  Department  set  up  a  system  last year to allow
   prisoners    to    challenge    their    detention   through   special
   representatives, not lawyers.
   About 700 detainees are being held at Bagram.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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