Kathmandu, (PTI): Maoists are still operating illegal 'kangaroo courts' and labour camps across Nepal, even after the Comprehensive Peace Accord signed by the rebels in 2006 banned their existence, a human rights organisation has claimed.

At least 39 people are languishing in different labour camps operated by the Maoists in various parts of the country, a group of human rights activists belonging to Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) said.

The INSEC team, which toured the country in the second week of December 2007, has found 6 persons in Salyan, 20 in Rukum, 6 in Jajarkot and 7 in Pyuthan districts serving jail terms in their labour camps, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The victims aged between 16 and 45 have been serving terms for one to six years in their camps. The terms were handed down by Maoist 'kangaroo courts' in the past.

The Maoists have physically tortured the prisoners into admitting crimes, and the workers are never paid, one of the captives told the rights activists.

INSEC has demanded that the government dissolve all the labour camps across the country and take immediate initiative to release all the detainees, the newspaper reported.