I receive many hundreds of emails from my South East constituents every week, but today one particular letter caught my eye. A constituent at the Network for Oxford Women for Justice and Peace (NOW) has written to voice her concern for the safety and welfare of Dr. Nawal al Samarrie, who has not been seen or heard from since her resignation as Iraqi Minister for Women’s Affairs.
Her email comes as Iraqi forces prepare to reopen the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, and US forces start to handover detainees to the Iraqi occupation government - despite concerns being expressed by UNAMI, Amnesty and HRW.
Most worrying are the reports that US forces sometimes arrested Iraqi women simply when their men folk were unavailable, that many women arrested have simply disappeared, and allegations that women detained by US or Iraqi forces have been subjected to solitary confinement, maltreatment, torture and even rape.
NOW has contacted the Iraqi president, cabinet, and Parliament to alert them to the situation, and I am today writing to the European Commission to demand the EU exerts pressure on the Iraqi authorities to vouch for the safety of Dr. Al Samarrie, and ensure her free speech and movement.
