GENEVA, Dec 7: United Nations human rights chief Mary Robinson on Friday backed calls by human rights groups for an international inquiry into the killing of 600 prisoners at the Qila-i-Jangi and expressed concern about other reported massacres as the Taliban fell from power.

“I support the idea of there being an inquiry...There are very worrying concerns about prisoners, about the sequences of events that lead to the death of some 600 people in a context such as Mazar-i-Sharif,” Robinson said at a news conference.

The massacre, involving a mix of US air strikes, Northern Alliance tanks and US and British special forces, has led to a call by Amnesty International and others for a probe.

Reports from aid workers had sparked concern about “situations when territory has changed hands, prisoners are found dead with their hands tied behind their back; these kinds of incidents show a need for more careful scrutiny”, Robinson said.

She added that an investigation could be led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and her staff in Afghanistan was already “mapping out patterns of massacres”.

She also expressed concern about the “substantial toll of deaths and injuries” among Afghan civilians caused by US bombing, and destruction of hospitals and old people’s homes.

The former president of Ireland also criticized an order by US President George W. Bush to set up military tribunals for suspects held in connection with the Sept 11 attacks as potentially eroding a range of detainees’ rights, including protection from arbitrary arrests and a right to fair trial.

She questioned the US administration’s “trust me” attitude with its anti-terrorism measures, which she said circumvented the system of checks and balances of a democratic society.

CRITICAL OF US: Robinson also said that criminal trials of those suspected of masterminding the Sept 11 attacks should be held either before US domestic courts or a new international tribunal.