Five US soldiers have been charged with assaulting Iraqi prisoners this past September. A US military spokesman said that the five soldiers had hit the prisoners with broomsticks, reportedly after the men were arrested and before they were taken to prison.
"The detainees received injuries described as bruises and contusions caused by striking with a closed and open hand, kicking, and hitting with an object described as a broomstick," said the spokesman.
The International Red Cross had been given access to the detainees in question, while the American soldiers have been assigned administrative duties while their fate is pending, according to Reuters. It is not yet known whether they will face a court martial or not.
More than 400 investigations of prisoner mistreatment have been conducted by US military authorities in Iraq and Afghanistan and at the American military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
US forces are currently holding nearly 14,000 prisoners at prisons throughout Iraq. Many have accused US authorities with detained prisoners for too long without due process.
