22 May 2004	Saturday	02 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 21: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has access to prison cells in Kashmir, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, but it would not go public about its findings if the leaking information went against the interest of the detainees.

This was stated by the ICRC coordinator for communication programmes, Frederic Gouin, while speaking at the conclusion of the committee's five-day International Humanitarian Law (IHL) course for working professionals here on Friday.

The coordinator said everything that the ICRC thought of was in the interest of the prisoners. He said the ICRC had been visiting Prisoners of Wars (POWs) and political detainees since 1915 and had much experience about its job. The ICRC's standard mechanism was to submit its reports to the detaining authorities to take action on violations of prisoners rights, he added.

Speaking about the committee's involvement in Afghanistan, Mr Gouin said the ICRC was providing assistance and aid but it was getting less and less due to security concerns, especially after one of its members was killed last year. "But the ICRC has access to prison cells in Baghram and Shibarghan, and soon it would establish access to prison cells in Kandahar," he added.