Afghan detainees still at risk: lawyer

Detainees handed over to Afghan authorities by Canadian soldiers still face a substantial risk of torture, a civil rights lawyer has told MPs.

Paul Champ, counsel for Amnesty International Canada and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said Wednesday he has seen no evidence to suggest torture in Afghan jails has ended.

"Our concern is that there still remains a risk of torture in Afghanistan with respect to detainees captured by Canadian forces and handed over to Afghan authorities," he told a special Commons committee investigating the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.

"We have no reason to believe that the situation has improved in Afghan prisons. We have no evidence of that."

He made similar comments before an informal meeting of the committee in December. But at that time, government MPs boycotted the hearings, removing their official status.

Champ said Canadian diplomats have reported claims of torture from detainees and an Afghan rights group has heard similar accusations.

"I can't see how the Canadian Forces can continue making transfers in a manner that respects international law."

Amnesty and the B.C. group unsuccessfully sought a Federal Court injunction halting the Canadian transfer of detainees to Afghan prisons.

The government's decision to have former Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci review secret government documents to see if they can be released to the MPs amounts to nothing more than a second opinion, which could take a year or more to complete, Champ said.