230 freed from Abu Ghraib
2005-01-09 22:20
Baghdad - US forces on Sunday released about 230 Iraqis who had been detained in Abu Ghraib prison, the military said.
A military statement said the Iraqis "no longer pose a security threat, or could be released to guarantors in their communities who take responsibility for their future actions".
It was the second release in January, with 260 detainees released on January 1, the statement said.
About 5 000 Iraqis are still detained at Camp Bucca, the primary detention facility located near Umm Qasr, and 2 400 are held at Abu Ghraib.
The military released over 9 000 detainees last year, the statement said.
It said that about 1 100 detainees have been "identified for prosecution" for crimes including illegal possession of weapons and attacks on US-led coalition and Iraqi forces.
US detention facilities, particularly Abu Ghraib, have come under wide criticism over mistreatment of some prisoners by American soldiers.
- AP