Six US military police charged with an array of abuses at one of Saddam Hussein's most notorious jails remain on active duty in Iraq although they no longer have contact with prisoners, a coalition commander said Sunday.
The six are accused of conspiracy, dereliction of duty, cruelty, maltreatment, assault and indecent acts against up to 20 prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison last November and December.
Another 11 military personnel, including some commanders of the six, have also been removed from their duties at the prison, which was reopened for use by the US-led coalition last year.
"They have been taken away from duties involving the detainees," the senior coalition officer said.
"The type of duties they are performing are appropriate duties for their rank and experience. Remember these are individuals who are only accused of misconduct," the officer said.
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International and former detainees have complained of poor treatment and squalid living conditions inside coalition-run detention centers in Iraq, which are said to hold between 9,000 and 10,000 prisoners.