KABUL -GR -C4R

From: KANDH-C4R
Sent: June 2,200612:10 PM
To: EXTOTT -IRP -C4; EXTOTT -RAS -C4; EXTOTT -lOR -C4; EXTOTT-IRH -GHA -C4;
BURGESS Anne E -BNATO -GR-C4
Cc: EXTOTT -IFM -C4; EXTOTT -IRO -C4; EXTOTT -100 -C4; EXTOTT -ISD-C4; EXTOTT ~ISR
-C4; EXTOTT -RAD -C4; EXTOTT -RAS -C4; EXTOTT -IRe .C4; EXTOTT -IRP -C4;
EXTOTT -lSI -C4; EXTOTT -ISIW -C4; EXTOTT -ICX -C4; EXTOTT -ICT -C4; EXTOTT -IDC
-C4; EXTOTT-RMD -C4; EXTort -RMG -C4; EXTOTT -RMR -C4; CCATS; KABUL -GR-
C4R; KANDH -KAF -C4R; ISBAD -GR -C4; ISBAD -DR -C4; ISBAD -SL .C4; DELHI -GRIPA -
C4; DELHI -DR -C4; WSHDC -GR -C4; WSHDC -DR -C4; LON -GR -C4; LON -DR -C4;
BNATO -C4; -CNBRA -C4R; -CNBRA -DR -C4R; -HAGUE -DR -C4R; EXTOTT -GFM-C4;
EXTOTT -RGM -C4; EXTOTT -DMA -C4; HUGHES Stuart .,ISSAD -GR -C4; HOFFMANN
Ron -LON -GR -C4; ALEXANDER Vera -WSHDC -GR -C4; LALANI ArIf -RAS -C4;
FAIRCHILD David -IRP -C4; MARTIN Barbara -lOR -C4; lAPORTE Eric -lOR -C4; NELSON
David -lOR -C4; BERGSTRAND Brad -FSDN -IRP -C4; GRAHAM Janet -FSDN -C4;
GILMOUR Wendy -FSDN -IRP -C4; TERMORSHUIZEN Cindy -RAS -C4; BONNAR Jon -
RAS -C4; HODGINS Glen -RAS -C4; ARBEITER Richard -RAS -C4; AHMAD Nadia -RAS -
C4; LAFLEUR Marie-Jos6e -IRP -C4; COLLINS David ~ISBAD -HOM -C4; ELMS Geordie -
ISBAD -DR -C4; ~rivy Council Office I Foreign & Defence Policy -C4R; Privy Council Office I
lAS -C4R; NDHQ OTT 0 NATO POL -C4; NDHQ OTT DGIS POL -C4; NDHQ OTT NDCC ..
C4; CIDA -C4R; NDHQ +CEFCOM Comd -C4R; NDHQ +CEFCOM J2 -C4R; NDHQ
+CEFCOM J3-C4R; NDHQ +CEFCOM J5 ·C4R; NDHQ +CEFCOM J9 -C4R; NDHQ OTT
DPK POL -C4; DELHI -HOM -C4; DUHAIME Stephanie -RAS -C4; ELLIOTT Mike -ISIW -C4;
DIGANGI John -lSI -C4; KABUL -HOM -C4R; Royal Canadian Mounted Police Head Quarter -
C4R; PILLAROTT -RAP -C4R; OLEXIUK Eileen ·IRD -C4; EXTOn -SCM -C4; PILLAROTT -
CT -C4R; KABUL ~DA -C4R; BLOODWORTH catherine -JLA -C4; BARBER Shawn -IRC -
C4; CIDA -C4R; GENEV -GR -C4; EXTOTT -GIO -C4; EXTOTT -ISRA -C4; EXTOTT -MINA -
C4; PRMNY -GR -C4; PRMNY -DR -C4; LENARCIC David -WSHDC -GR -C4; YATES
Brenda -IRH-GHA -C4; RICHARDSON Mark -ICT -C4; IRISH Jennifer -ICT -C4; PUXLEY
Evelyn -ICT -C4; EXTOTT -ICX -C4; NOLKE Sabine -JLH -C4; EXTOTT -RRD -C4; EXTOTT
-RRO -C4; CORMIER Terry -GENEV -GR -C4; AMEGAN Karim -GENEV -GR -C4; MEYER
Andrea -PRMNY -GR -C4; GOLBERG Elissa -IRH-GHA -C4; KABUL -HOM -C4R; HUSAIN
Masud -JLA -C4; -HAGUE -C4R; -BUCST -C4R; -HAGUE -HOM -C4R
Subject: KANDH0032 - Kandahar prison and Afghan detainees .

SECRET-CEO

Ref: KANDHOO29 of May ~nn ~P.T1n!: over notification; unnumbered KABUL-HOM C4 of May 31 and
YWGROO30 of May 30 on con.CeI']rlS over detention centres in southern Afghanistan

RCMP - pIs pass to IPB

CIDA - pIs pass to BSv/ Tse and BSI/ Graves, Raiche and Baker
Privy CouncillIAS - pIs pass to Popovich/Bryson
NDHQIDNATO POL - pIs pass to Anderson/KaducklBos
CEFCOM 13 - pis pass to PowelI; J5 - PIs pass to Lizotte; J9 - pIs pass to Rebenchuk
KANDH-KAF - pIs pass to FraserlPutt/BasingerlHopeIStricklandiStalkerlIsfeId
BCM - pIs pass to Girtel

Summary: The Kandahar from the ICRC. .close to full capacity, it requires only
modest physical upgrades. . . . . . . . the southern region in Kandahar
reflects the poor quality and severe overcrowding of the prison in Uruzgan. Netherlands is . a battle
group and PRT as part of NATO's expansion into southern Afghanistan. In Krulda:l1ar~
the prison itself but overall treatment of detainees, including those transferred t6 Afghan custOdv

Report: Given ongoing discussions about Afghan detainees and Kandahar detention facilities, and in light

DocumentNumber/Numerodudocument D-UO-oq~
-2009~~11~1~8 Ibn 84 1of5
Receipt Date I Date ~ue=-,_-...:;l_I-_O_""\___ !{ t-, d;!{:h'd h~' A G
\11"'<"."-_
I \ ... ~ ,,
-< 1[\( 1!. .
Iq"'ll£ a Ql . , ",
i k~I~ ,'.... - -~ _ _ ., ..
 .......
,
. '

1'V~" "Ul" C,nn!ltrUl~tilim

of a detention facility for the southern region in a trilateral
have below our current state of knowledge on these issues. Report is based
on a prison; an ICRC assessment of Afghanistan's
provincial jails; and an investigation into Provincial Cotnlcil.

Kandahar provincial prison

3. On May 16, we visited in Kandahar city, along with DGs from DFAIT, DND and
RCMP. According to the to some extent already a regional facility, holding prisoners from
Helmand, Uruzgan and \mabIe to provide a breakdown by province but said the
largest group .was the Kimdaharis. In addition to provincial prison, each district in Kandahar has a small detention
facility. [Uruzgan, Zabul and Helmand have separate provincial prisons; see paras. 13-15 below.]

7. Facilities: From our superficial outside inspection, the prison seems to be in reasonably good condition. It received
$140,000 in last via U.S. CERP funds. This included a new kitchen, a new shower facility for prison-
guard Facilities for vocational activities, and a dining room
for staff, were our additional summer and winter assistance,
including towels, soap, Sandals and blankets. According to prisoners get enough food. They are allowed two
visits per week.

8. Process:mJ;/;: that, of have been sentenced and ~ still being processed. He said
without charges, and prisoners are usually processed by the courts within 15 days. [CoDlment: 1ri at
hovvevll7 was held for a month and a half with no charge. His arrest had been ordered

9. • ers are sometimes transferred to Policharki prison, near Kabul. This is based on a decision of the High Court,
said It is also sometimes used as a punishment

Priorities

10. Asked about possible improvements,_dentified his top priorities:

• Medicines are needed for the clinic, and had been promised by the PRT, The last delivery of govenunent
2

20091118 84 2of5
 ,
...' ..
" ,

• Miscellaneous: Fans are needed for some areas, e.g. the clinic. Help is needed in filling in the
Un:LtOllDS for the prisoners and guards would be useful.

JCRC assessment

11. Kandahar prison is "not that

bad" the worst in Afghanistan" for management and physical could be done for

. bed : led' h . I .:" . ..

sanitation e.g. improving the latrines. But overall, "in teJms of basic needs. it's not
nught be better off looking at the district jails,
we

report. published in December 2005. called The Provincial Prisons of

'l'el.:hnitcal Assessment Recommendations Regarding the State ofthe Premises and of the Water and
Sanitation Infrastructure. The assessment of Kandahar prison was conducted in September 2005 and is relatively
favourable. It says the cells are reasonably well kept, with sufficient natural light and ventilation, except in the five cells
used for disciplinary purposes. Detainees have daily access to yards. The report classed prison renovation as only a
"medium" priority. Areas for possible renovation include: renovation of cells (e.g. sanding of walls. provision of
mosquito nets); construction of a proper area for family visits in the tnale section; and construction of a mosque or prayer
area. The Helmand prison also received a generally favourable assessment

an
13. By contrast, the provincial prisons in Uruzgan and Zabul were listed as "immediate" priority. requiring not some
renovation but, in each case, "immediate construction of a new prison." Of the two, the prison in Uruzgan - where the
Dutch are standing up a PRT and battle group as part of NATO's expansion into southern Afghanistan -received by far
the worse rating. It is already severely overcrowded (capacity: 33; population: 85). The four cells and other buildings
are in poor condition. The yard is too small for exercise. There is no medical facility and no proper area for family
visits, which take place in a corridor. Water is drawn from a canal of dirty water that runs through Tirin Kot before
reaching the prison; detainees have to wash in that canal.

14. The JCRC report assigns a numerical rating to each facility. They were given the following marks:
• Kandahar city (Kandahar - Cdn lead) - 67%
• Lashkar Gah (He1mand - UK lead) .... 57%
• Qalat (Zabul - D.SJ Romanian lead) ..;. 52%
• Tirin Kot (Uruzgan •• Dutch lead) - 33%

15. The JCRC report '''OT'IfRP.1 'rv of 600 male and 30 female prisoners, for a total of 630.

However, according cannot reconcile the glaring disparity between

the two sets of numbers. based on unrl:'~UWl'Ull:' number of detainees per cell. However, even their
cell numbers differed wildly - 100 (ICRC) VB. numbers sound very high for the size of the facility. We
presume that the ICRC's numbers are more acc·ural:e. .r..afl(lamu-prison is therefore close to, or already at, full
capacity. In our discussion 10Vlerclro"rdiIlll as a potential concern.

16. the Kandahar facility as a "major transfer facility," implying that many of the prisoners pass
thrO : I, , ere.

17 !"el!I''ett~!d
that it was unable to discuss with us the condition of detainees
see paras. 20-23 below.

Provincial Council assessment

18. In response to complaints, the Provincial Council (PC) of Kandahar conducted an investigation of both the women's
and men's areas in the provincial prison. So far, only the report on the women's area has been published. However, we
have been told thatthe report on the men's area reaches similar conclusions.
3

20091118 84 30tS
 > I' , ...

19. The PC report identified the following problems:

• No separate room (kindergarten or school)Jor detainees' children. I

• "Unfair treatment" by jail staff, including taking bribes. nAsa whole, the prison law is not enforced. " [We -do not
know exactly what this means.]
• A doctor is needed. [There is a doctor but perhaps only a male doctor.]
• Insufficient water and sanitary system.
• Lack of possibilities for ablution and praying. Lack of religious .and other education.
• Detainees are without work, which is "leading to corruption" [this apparently means unhealthy thoughts and state of
mind.]
• No fan or mosquito net.
• No equipment in the vocational! workshop area. [We verified this, although this facility seemed still to be under
construction, which would explain the absence of equipment.]
• Detainees have no uniforms. Some have insufficient clothes.
• A vehicle is needed.

Treatment of detainees by Afghan authorities

21. For example, in response to a question about whether training was needed for
training would better be directed to the police and judiciary. "How police treat their detainees a great
how the population sees" the authorities.- This . important, increasingly cornplicalted,
should be taken more and more into cons~." things get difficult, some
authorities in Afghanistan get tougher and tougher. againSt the authorities."

23. the importance of speedy notification of detention and noted that

detainees not cease just because they had been turned over to authorities.
times, "I don't want to say too much right now,
describing some of the detainees as being held

24. Conclusions

• The existing Kandahar prison requires only modest physical upgrades. However, it maybe close to - or already at -
full capacity.

• the southern region reflects the poor quality

N~t~llIn41!;1are deploying a battle group and PRT as

not the prison itself but overall treatment of detainees, including those

Follow-up
4

2009 1118 84 40f5

 .. .
25. We facilitated a meeting Supt. Martini RCMP to discuss the Cdn training being~
to the Afghan National Police, especially as regards treatment of detainees. With the assistance oflsfeldl KAF,_
May 30 met with LCol Randy Smith, a legal advisor with the National Conunand Element at KAF, in order to
mutual concerns and establish a regular channel of commWlication Cdn forces In .
Afglumistan.

Consulted: MartinI RCMP, Maj. Liebert! DND

Drafted! released: Colvin

20091118 84 5ot5