On 20 May 2009 Alkarama sent a communication to the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances and the Special Rapporteur against Torture to ask them to urgently intervene with the authorities in Iraq in the case of eleven people arrested that same day and under the same circumstances, amongst which was Mr Farhan. 

Mahmoud Kareem Farhan, born in 1963, a resident in Baghdad, is a distant relative of Mr Al-Dainy and works at his office. He was arrested along with 10 others on 22 February 2009 at Mr Al-Dainy's office, which acts as a complaints bureau for violations of the rights of citizens. 

Soldiers under the command of Colonel Ali Saber Amrane, were brought into the premises without a judicial warrant. All these men were beaten, their eyes were bandaged, and all archives of the office, with complaints from citizens, have been shipped. 

The arrests are linked to the activities of Mr Al-Dainy who is closely involved in the research and documentation of human rights violations committed by multinational and Iraqi forces. 

Mr Farhan has sent Alkarama a detailed testimony of the treatment he underwent: Eleven men were arrested by members of the 2nd Battalion of the 54th Brigade, linked to the famous Baghdad Brigade which receives its orders directly from the Prime Minister . 

They were taken to an unknown location, blindfolded and handcuffed. It was only later that Mr Farhan discovered that he was in the "green zone" in a center controlled by the Baghdad Brigade. Placed in isolation, he was quickly presented to the officer in charge of the interrogation who threatened to torture him if he did not sign the statement. These "confessions" were with regards to Mr Al-Dainy. 

Mr Farhan refused. he was then horribly tortured. He endured suspension, suffocation, sexual assault and threats of reprisals on his family. 

Finally, the declarations were signed against his will and since he was handcuffed the torturers forcibly placed his fingerprints on the document. He suffered threats from the commander of the brigade who advised him not to talk about his experiences.

A few days before 22 June 2009, members of Mr Al Dainy's team were collected and taken to a caravan where they entered one by one. A masked man introduced himself as a member of the International Commission on Human Rights and said he was investigating the treatment that the prisoners had suffered. A cameraman from Al-Iraqia television channel then filmed one after another. Having recognized the voice of their torturer, the men evidently denied having suffered any ill-treatment. 

The treatment of the eleven inmates in the prison when he has changed once Mr Al-Dainy appeared on television. They were informed that an international commission would visit them and that Mr Al-Dainy had complained to the United Nations and that an investigation would be conducted. 

According to Mr Farhan, thousands of people are detained in prison in the Baghdad Brigade, including women and children. When a committee visits this prison, it is always accompanied by members of the Brigade and can never meet the prisoners alone. 

Mr Farhan noted that: If the members of Mr Al-Dainy's entourage are treated in this way, what about ordinary citizens?

For more information:

Iraq: Disapperance of 11 of Mohammed Al-Dainy's entourage
Iraq: Enforced disappearance of Alaa Al-Maliki
Iraq: Enforced disappearance of Omar Jasem, Hossein Mansoor and Odey Mansoor
Iraq: Enforced disappearance of Riyad Ibrahim Jassem
Update : Arrest and disappearance of Mr Al-Dainy, Member of Iraqi Parliament
Iraq : Arrest and abduction of Mr Al-Dainy, Member of Iraqi Parliame