By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

CANBERRA, Australia – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (“PIAC”) has now obtained documents that show that Australia’s military aided in preventing Abu Ghraib prisoners from receiving Red Cross treatment.  At the center of the detainee mistreatment investigation is Australian officer Major George O’Kane.

Defense documents reveal that Australian Army lawyer, Major George O’Kane knew much more about the abuses at Abu Ghraib than originally thought.  Although he was not personally involved with the highly publicized abuses, perhaps equally disturbing was his involvement in denying Red Cross medical attention to high priority prisoners.  According to ABC News, Major O’Kane told ICRC representatives that they could not interview certain detainees because they were “undergoing active interrogation.”

Major O’Kane was instructed to report any abuses or wrongdoings to his superiors.  Robert Hill, the then defense minister said that military lawyers and other officials could often “find themselves in tricky situations,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald. 

The only reports Major O’Kane made to his superiors were those concerning a U.S. investigation into photos.  He did not give evidence at a Senate inquiry in May of 2004, nor did he attend U.S. Congressional hearings on the abuses.  However, Major O’Kane did eventually play a role in tipping off the U.S. about the Red Cross abuses.   According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Major was instructed to deny prisoners access to the Red Cross because of their status as “High Value Detainees” during a January 2004 visit.  Their process of interrogation reportedly required “imperative military necessity.”

Documents show that when Major O’Kane did express doubts about the legality of American interrogation techniques, defense officials ignored his recommendations.  The Straits Times reports that Defence Minister Hill made no effort to correct a public statement announcing that the techniques ‘were consistent with the Geneva Convention,’ even though he knew they were wrong.

Former colonel Mike Kelly was in Baghdad at the same time as Major O’Kane.  Kelly stood up for the Major telling The Sydney Morning Herald that the Major was “a really conscientious officer” and that “there were people with a lot more crap on their shoulders responsible for making these decisions.”

PIAC is a legal lobby group that obtained these documents through Freedom of Information laws.  PIAC Chief Executive Edward Santow said, “We need to assure ourselves that we have learned from the mistakes of the past and . . . ensure that the key information gets into the public domain about our policies in relation to the detention and treatment of prisoners of war.”

PIAC told the Associated Foreign Press that these documents show a “disturbing response by Australian officials regarding detainee mistreatment.”  PIAC will continue to inquire as to what the Australian Defence Force knew about the extent of the abuses at Abu Ghraib.

For more information, please visit:

Associated Foreign Press — Australia “linked to Abu Ghraib abuses” — 5 July 2011

The Straits Times — Alleged Australian Link to Abu Ghraib: Document — 5 July 2011

The Sydney Morning Herald — ADF Knew of Abuses at Abu Ghraib — 5 July 2011

Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) — Australia’s Ties to Abu Ghraib — 4 July 2011

Herald Sun — Calls for Inquiry Into Abu Ghraib Abuses — 4 July 2011