[JURIST] The Iraqi Prime Minister's office Thursday announced the launch of a nationwide investigation into allegations of widespread abuse [JURIST report] occurring at Iraqi-run prisons. 166 Sunni Arabs and 3 Shiite Arabs were found by Americans Sunday night at a secret police prison in Baghdad, and a journalist for Voice of America [official website] present for the prisoner transfers said that at least one-third of the prisoners, all male, exhibited bruises or lacerations and looked to be "extremely emaciated." The US soldiers found torture weapons, including a mace, hidden in the walls of the prison. The Iraqi investigation, announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari [BBC profile], will be supported by employees of the US Department of Justice [official website] and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [official website]. Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, a conservative Shiite, confirmed that seven of the prisoners had been tortured and promised to punish those responsible, but claimed [JURIST report] there had been "much exaggeration about this issue." The New York Times has more.