Iraqi women, children imprisoned for husbands' crimes

A prison in Baghdad holds families because the fathers are accused of terrorism. Women and children have been held for years without being charged. Some women tell stories rape and abuse while incarcerated.

This video is from CBS's Evening News, broadcast on December 22, 2007.




Rush transcript via closed captions

:: pelley: Good evening. We were talking about what to lead with tonight when we saw a remarkable story sent to us by our baghdad bureau. I doubt you've seen anything quite like this. Imagine women in prison because their husbands are are accused terrorism. Now imagine their infants and children in prison with them. Worst of all, it seems they have no way out. Cbs correspondent elizabeth palmer has been in the prison and came back with these pictures.

:: reporter: The women prisoners of cad jail have been waiting a long time for this, a chance to be heard.

:: ( translated ): Our husbands were accused and we were arrested. Many of us have been rained. We were pregnant and lost our babies.

:: reporter: Iraq's violent, tariq al hashemi, has come to inspect the country's only women's jail where almost 200 inmates live, many with their children. Some of these babies were born behind bars. Most of the women had rear on vague terrorism charges with little or no evidence and no hope of legal advice or even a court date.

:: ( translated ): They accused my husband, then arrested me, too, but i've done nothing.

:: ( translated ): I was detained in the green zone by the americans two years ago. I have no idea what's happened to my family.

:: reporter: With the cameras rolling, alhashemi, a smooth politician, tries to reassure them with the we'll appoint a committee to look into your cases," he tells them. But the women are having none of it.

:: ( translated ): I don't believe you. I have been waiting a year and a have to find out why i'm here.

:: reporter: There are the stories alhashemi would rather not here.

:: ( translated ): I was rained after I was arrested. They sentenced me to 20 years in prison on terrorist charges.

:: reporter: This is tabu in a country where a woman's honor is everything and it makes the vice president squirm.

:: they try, in fact, to talk openly, but I just stopped them.

:: reporter: You didn't want to hear them? I don't want to hear-- yes, it's damaging effect, damaging-- damage my being a vice president iraqi women being treated like that.

:: reporter: Pushed, alhashemi confirms the abuse by police and interrogators long before they arrive in this overcrowded cell.

:: this is the most critical area, the torturing, the rape, everything, all these bad experience-- the fraud, malpractice done at this stage.

:: reporter: Then they come here and wait for justice. To the damaged and the desparing it might as well be a life sentence. Elizabeth palmer, cbs news, baghdad.

:: pelley: Iraq, of course, is among the issues in what has