22 Oct 2011

Greens say report on Afghan detainees misses point

5:59 am on 22 October 2011

The Green Party says a report on New Zealand's role in detaining prisoners in Afghanistan dodges the key question about subsequent torture of the prisoners.

The investigation was in response to a United Nations report in October, which found prisoners held at a number of facilities run by the Afghan authorities had been tortured.

The Government's report says 193 people have been captured on joint operations with the Afghan Crisis Response Unit but only one person has been arrested directly by New Zealand's SAS.

The report says there is no complicity in torture or any other international crime by New Zealand or members of the Defence Force.

But Green Party defence spokesperson Keith Locke says there is no mention of whether anyone detained in joint operations has been handed over for torture.

He says a further report should be prepared about where the detainees have ended up.