NEW YORK, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch called Friday for a full investigation into the possible torture of detainees turned over to Afghanistan by Canadian forces in 2006-07.
The group says testimony by a senior Canadian diplomat based in Afghanistan at the time indicates Canadian officials received repeated warnings about detainee abuse.
Richard Colvin told a House of Commons subcommittee last week that prisoners transferred to Afghan custody were likely tortured.
He said his warnings at first were ignored by senior Canadian government officials but that he was later instructed to "be quiet and do what we were told."
A March 2004 report by Human Rights Watch found that those in Afghan custody were held "in poor conditions" and some were "subjected to torture and other mistreatment."
Human Rights Watch said knowingly transferring people to a government where they are likely to be tortured can amount to complicity under the Convention Against Torture that Canada ratified in 1987.
