Amnesty International said:

'Recent events at the Qala-i-Jhangi fort near Mazar-i-Sharif, where several hundred captured Taleban fighters and others were killed in disputed circumstances, and news reports today that dozens of others apparently suffocated in sealed shipping containers while being transported to a prison in Shibarghan, heighten concerns for the treatment of any other surrendering combatants.

The key role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in overseeing the processing and treatment of prisoners must be facilitated to ensure that people are properly protected.'