Free the Captives: Witness Against Illegal Detention and Torture

The new Canadian foreign affairs minister expressed confidence that the Christian Peacemakers held cpative in Iraq will be released safely; CPT workers still deployed there denounced the practices of abuse and torture documented in a newsly-released batch of photos from Abu Ghraib prison. All around Iraq, more terrible violence shattered lives and hopes.

from CBC: MacKay 'very optimistic' about release of Canadian hostages in Iraq

Canada's new foreign affairs minister says he believes the two Canadians, and two other Westerners taken hostage in Iraq, are still "very much" alive.

"The most up-to-date information that we have leads us to believe that there will be -- and we remain very optimistic -- a safe release of these individuals," Peter MacKay said in an interview with Canadian Press.

from Ekklesia: Christian peacemakers say abuse photos show 'moral bankruptcy' of Iraq occupation

In a statement, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) offered "its sincere condolences to the torture victims and their families."

"We are praying that one day they will find justice and healing", the statement said.

But CPT also called on the US and UK forces, "intelligence apparatus and their proxy militias to stop abusing detainees", most of whom are being held without charge.

The photographs, they said, "testify - better than any words could - to the moral bankruptcy of the military occupation of Iraq." [...]

CPT, who have maintained an almost continuous presences in Iraq since before the invasion, were one of the first groups to document prisoner abuse.

Four months before the original pictures of abuse at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison emerged, they documented and presented 72 cases of abuse to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.