Appendix A
Testimony of Mr. Adnan Radia Karam
Born 1950, Baghdad
Kurdish Iraqi citizen, now resident in Sweden
Interviewed in Sweden on 16 September 1994
Early in 1982, along with my brother Mohammed and the rest of my family I was arrested and taken to the Shaab Football Stadium. When the rest of my family were deported to Iran, Mohammed and I were detained as hostages, firstly in the Political Secret Service prison on Baghdad Canal, then in the General Security prison in Al Thawara for 6 months, followed by one and a half years in Al Fathalia prison in Baghdad. Among the other prisoners a total of 210 of us were designated as "young Iranians".
In early 1984 I was transferred to Abu Ghraeb, Block 7. Then on 5 December I was transferred to Qalat Al Salman. (My group included one man of Indian descent, and "Kassim the Handicapped", a quadriplegic with no tongue.) In 1985 Mr Mazher Mustafa Awad, the Mayor of Al Samawa, visited the prison and told us, "You are not here as prisoners. You are our sons, here for your own protection." My brother and I remained there till 1985 when, as part of a group of about 100, we were taken to Al Habanya Military Base, where we were given military training (we had guns but no ammunition!). Then while my brother was left in Al Habanya, I and 19 others were transferred to the General Security Office in Baghdad, where I was imprisoned underground for a year. In December 1986 all 20 of us were taken back to Al Fathalia Prison. On 3 March 1988 while 8 remained in Al Fathalia, 12 of us were taken back to Qalat Al Salman. When we arrived there were only about 200 hostages left. A short time later we were all divided into groups of about 40 and distributed to the General Security prisons in Al Babylon, Al Najaf, Al Tikrit, Al Ramadi and Al Diwaniyah, where I was held hostage along with about 40 others for 8 months. During this time relatives were allowed to visit monthly.
In early 1989 I was transferred back to Abu Ghraeb Special Sentence Section for Rehabilitation. I remained there for another 2 months, then was transferred back to the General Security prison and released on 1 February 1989.
I believe that about 3,000 hostages are still being held by Saddam in order to exchange for prisoners of war held in Iran.
Al Baladyat is the recently built offices of the Iraqi General Security in Baghdad. It consists of a complex of underground cells and 8 surface buildings, each of 7 floors. It is located in Al Mashtel Hay 7th Nissan in Al Baladyat, Baghdad (near the Free Market on the left hand side of the Jadyda Bridge on the military canal when crossing to the old Baqooba route).