OTTAWA - The Canadian Forces has released more details about an incident in which soldiers in Afghanistan intervened to save a civilian who was being abused.
Reports of the June 2006 incident, taken from court transcripts, caused an uproar in the Commons on Friday.
Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, said Saturday that the way the incident has been portrayed is inaccurate.
In cross-examination involving a lawsuit by Amnesty International, Col. Mike Noonan described an incident in which Canadian soldiers had to take custody of an Afghan man whom they suspected of being beaten by Afghan National Police officers. It was initially suggested the man had been captured by Canadian soldiers.
But Natynczyk said that's not the case and the individual had simply been questioned by soldiers in the village of Zangabad, 50 kilometres southwest of Kandahar.
The incident was used as illustration by Opposition parties that Canadian soldiers had handed prisoners over to abusive Afghan authorities, contrary to assurances by the Conservative government that no such incident had taken place.
Natynczyk said the Afghan man was later picked up by police, and Canadian soldiers, who later came across him, noticed he had been injured.
The troops arranged to have the man handed over to another police unit.
In a statement released late Saturday, Natynczyk said there was no indication of torture.
It is the first time the military has provided this kind of clarification about the controvery involving detainees.
A government lawyer had initially blocked release of the information in Saturday's statement, saying it might violate national security. There was no explanation for the change of heart.
Repeated interview requests to the Defence Department about the handling of prisoners have been directed to Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's office. The only comment his staff have provided involves directing journalists to O'Connor's statements in the Commons.
Since allegations that as many as 30 prisoners transferred by Canadians to Afghan authorities may have been abused surfaced in late April, O'Connor has taken questions only in the Commons and before a Parliamentary committee.
