Written question asked by Bob Spink (Conservative) on Monday, 20 October 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 30 October 2003. It was answered by Denis MacShane (Labour) on Thursday, 30 October 2003 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in (a) securing and (b) protecting evidence of human rights abuses in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's regime; what evidence has been handed to the relevant prosecuting authorities; and what the relevant prosecuting authorities are.

Answer: Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in (a) securing and (b) protecting evidence of human rights abuses in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's regime; what evidence has been handed to the relevant prosecuting authorities; and what the relevant prosecuting authorities are. [133831] Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has been working with the Governing Council, the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, and local and international organisations to put in place the necessary procedures for collecting and securing evidence. The CPA has so far investigated 128 of the 250 reported mass grave sites and seized thousands of potentially relevant documents. CPA efforts are also focused on building the capacity of Iraqis to investigate the crimes committed by the former regime for both historical and prosecution purposes.

Secondary information