Report / UNICEF – 2004-05-17 09:28:09
http://electronicIraq.net/news/1493.shtml
(May 11, 2004) — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is profoundly disturbed by news reports alleging that children might have been among those abused in detention centres and prisons in Iraq, a spokesman said today.
“Although the news reports have not been independently substantiated, they are alarming nonetheless,” UNICEF spokesman Damien Personnaz told a news briefing in Geneva, adding that any mistreatment, sexual abuse, exploitation or torture of children in detention is a violation of international law.
Mr. Personnaz’s statement was the latest reaction by a UN body to widely disseminated reports and photographs of abuse of detainees by United States-led coalition personnel in Iraq. Last week Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan expressed revulsion regarding the reports and photographs.
The detention or imprisonment of a child must be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, and for their safety and protection children should never be incarcerated with adults, Mr. Personnaz said.
“All persons in detention must be treated with humanity and with respect for their inherent dignity as human beings,” he added. “In particular, States had an obligation to protect children and to ensure that their officials were aware of, trained in, and complied with the relevant international standards.”
Iraq
Asked if there had been a request for a special sitting of the Commission on Human Rights to discuss the human rights situation in Iraq, especially the torture issue, the Director said she preferred to have the Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights respond to that question.
José Luis Díaz, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that OHCHR had not received any request for a special sitting on Iraq. In response to another question, Mr. Díaz said that a Member State of the Commission on Human Rights had to make a request, and then if the majority of the Members of the Commission accepted the request, the meeting would be held.
Mr. Díaz said that there were no new developments concerning OHCHR’s fact-finding exercise in Iraq, which was underway. As soon as any new information was available, he would let journalists know. A detailed statement on what the exercise was trying to do regarding the situation in Iraq had been issued.
Damien Personnaz of the United Nations Children’s Fund said UNICEF was profoundly disturbed by news reports alleging that children might have been among those abused in detention centres and prisons in Iraq. Although the news reports had not been independently substantiated, they were alarming nonetheless. Any mistreatment, sexual abuse, exploitation or torture of children in detention was a violation of international law. The detention or imprisonment of a child must be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. For their safety and protection, children should never be incarcerated with adults. All persons in detention must be treated with humanity and with respect for their inherent dignity as human beings. In particular, States had an obligation to protect children and to ensure that their officials were aware of, trained in, and complied with the relevant international standards. Mr. Personnaz said copies of this statement which was issued today in Geneva and in New York were available at the back of the room.
