Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

cases, UK-captured detainees have alleged mistreatment against the Afghan
authorities. In such cases, and subject to the detainees giving their consent, we
ensure that the Afghan authorities, the International Committee of the Red Cross and
the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission are informed of the allegations.
The court found that our policy of not transferring individuals where there was a real
risk of serious mistreatment was unimpeachable and that in practice we could
continue to transfer detainees to facilities at Kandahar and Lashkar Gah with various
provisos. These included strengthening the existing monitoring arrangements, which
we did through establishing the Detainee Oversight Team.
Afghanistan’s prison sector faces significant challenges, including non-existent or
poor infrastructure, lack of basic amenities, overcrowding, little separate provision for
women and children and a lack of accountability. There has, however, been some
progress in this area. UK offender management experts have worked closely with
the US to promote the development of a safe and secure prison sector by assisting
the Afghan Ministry of Justice’s Central Prisons Directorate in developing prison
infrastructure, policies and working practices.
We also continued to share best practice through training and mentoring, for
example, by running courses on prisoner and detainee management. By December,
more than 270 Afghan detention officers had completed the course. In addition, we
delivered basic training to National Directorate of Security officers in conducting
investigations into allegations of mistreatment by both detainees and staff. A new
training wing at the National Directorate of Security Academy is expected to become
fully functional in 2011.
In 2010 we continued to fund the construction of a prison in Lashkar Gah, in
Helmand Province, which will conform to international standards. This project is one
of the ongoing prison building and refurbishment programmes in Afghanistan which
will help address overcrowding and poor infrastructure. By March 2011, there will be
capacity for up to 1,000 inmates, as well as other amenities. A new fit-for-purpose
juvenile facility and a dedicated female facility will be completed by November 2011.
The building of a separate National Directorate of Security facility with capacity for
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