Baghdad, Iraq, August 2003 - The headquarters of the Association of Free Prisoners in Baghdad has hundreds of pictures of missing loved one taped to the windows and front gate. The AFP has taken the lead in collecting, recording and safeguarding former regime documentation pertaining to the imprisonment, abuse, execution and disappearance of so-called political detainees by the former Iraqi régime. The association will publicize this information as a resource for those abused and their families. USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives $50,300 grant has provided the AFP with basic office equipment, computers, desks and filing cabinets so that they can carry out the activities they have already started more effectively. Subsequently, OTI's Abuse Prevention Unit will assess what support will enable the AFP to establish an effective presence in the governorates. |