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OTTAWA — Canadian military police accused of terrorizing Afghan prisoners in their cells at Kandahar airfield operated without oversight and lacked guidance, according to newly released Defence Department documents obtained by Postmedia News.

The documents shed new light on allegations made last year by some military police officers who say Afghan detainees were abused in their cells in Kandahar during surprise raids by guards in 2010 and 2011.

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The documents acknowledge the raids happened and suggest the situation was out of control.

Paul Champ, a human rights lawyer previously involved in the Afghan detainee issue, says the documents show the Canadian military is acknowledging something went seriously wrong in the Kandahar detention centre.

It seems clear the purpose was to instil fear, to cause terror in these prisoners

“I’m surprised the military didn’t take their investigation further and levy at least charges of misconduct,” said Champ, an Ottawa lawyer. “Even if the actions didn’t meet some level of criminal threshold, although I would argue they do, it certainly would breach a code of conduct if these police officers weren’t properly trained or provided with oversight.”