A/HRC/4/21/Add.1 page 73 guards or interrogators. The Government maintained its firm commitment to respect religious freedom and it stated that the United States is particularly dedicated to respecting the religious and cultural dignity of the Koran and the detainees’ practice of faith. The Joint Task Force has carefully implemented a standard operating procedure that makes every effort to provide detainees with religious articles associated with the Islamic faith, accommodate prayers and religious periods, and provide culturally acceptable meals and practices. 310. The alleged instances of Koran mishandling were the focus of an in-depth investigation that was launched on 5 May 2005. This investigation found no credible evidence that a member of the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay flushed a Koran down the toilet. An interview with the detainee who reportedly made this allegation revealed that he was not a witness to any such mistreatment and no other claims of this type have been made. The matter is therefore considered closed. 311. Since the issuing of Korans to detainees in January 2002, there have been nineteen incidents involving handling of the Koran by Joint Task Force personnel. Of these nineteen incidences, ten involved the touching of a Koran during the normal performance of duty. The other nine incidents involved intentional or unintentional mishandling of a Koran. General Hood, who led the investigation, identified seven incidents where a guard may have mishandled a Koran. In two additional instances (one confirmed) an interrogator may have mishandled a Koran. The investigation also revealed fifteen cases in which the detainees themselves mishandled or inappropriately treated the Koran. 312. With regard to the five instances of confirmed Koran mishandling the Joint Task Force specifically found: 313. During an interrogation in February 2002, a detainee complained that guards at Camp Xray kicked the Koran of a detainee in a neighbouring cell. The interrogator reported the incident, the guards were aware of the detainee’s complaint but there is no evidence of further investigation. 314. On 15 August 2003, two detainees complained that their Korans were wet because the night shift guards had thrown water balloons on the cell block. The complaints were recorded. It has not been determined whether further complaints were made by the detainees or whether their Korans were replaced. There is no evidence of further investigation into this incident. 315. On 21 August 2003, a detainee complained that a two-word obscenity had been scrawled in English on the inside cover of his English-language Koran. The complaint was recorded and the English-language Koran was taken from the detainee who retained his Arabic-language Koran. There is no record of a formal complaint of the detainee to the commander. 316. On 25 March 2005 a detainee complained to his guards that urine came through an air vent and splashed on him and his Koran while he lay near the air vent. A guard reported to his cellblock commander that he was at fault since he had left his post to urinate outside and had done so near the air vent so that the wind blew his urine into the air vent. The guard was relieved of duty and the detainee was immediately issued with a fresh uniform and a new Koran.