“If doctors had not braved the army’s code of silence, the fate of 19-year-old Ali would probably never have been brought to light. A nongovernmental organization seeking to protect the rights of prisoners, says a doctor treating Ali had called the group anonymously to report the case. According to the committee, doctors had been instructed to keep silent about the young man. Ali remains in grave condition after his legs and genitals were amputated following vicious hazing by soldiers.”

Abu Ghraib, Iraq? No, Chelyabinsk tank academy, Russia, and Ali’s real name is Andrei Sychev, not a prisoner but an army conscript.

“A private was confined to a locker by his comrades during his initial tour of duty and doused with water through the ventilation opening. The position of the locker gave the impression that they wanted to push it out the window. After reopening the locker the private’s comrades demanded that he climb on top of the locker and chug two bottles of beer. The private was humiliated by slaps to the face and forced to do push-ups and sleep in puddles of beer and broken glass.”

The Russian army? No, the German Bundeswehr.

Isn’t it time to send Dick Marty to do a report for the Council of Europe? This time he will not be “unable to independently confirm reports” of the human rights abuses. However, as George Adair says, if it cannot “somehow be linked to Bush, Cheney, and/or Halliburton,” the media and the CoE are not interested.