The leader of a human rights group in Afghanistan says his organization lacks the ability to fully monitor the fate of Taliban suspects handed over by Canadian soldiers to the Afghan government.

The director of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission for the Kandahar region, Abdul Noorzai, signed an agreement with Canada last month to monitor and report on any abuse of detainees.

Noorzai said security is an issue for his staff, who must travel into dangerous areas to do their work. He also noted that his staff is small for the amount of work they must do — he only has five people to directly review complaints, visit jails and meet with more than 1,000 prisoners.

Canadian Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor was to have met with Noorzai in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on Monday to discuss monitoring prisoners captured by Canadian soldiers and handed over to Afghan authorities. That meeting was rescheduled for Wednesday.

"Gordon O'Connor wants to look this man in the eye and ask him if he's going to do the job Canada wants him to do," CBC reporter Laura Lynch said from Kandahar on Tuesday.

The talks were cancelled at the last minute because Noorzai, who said he only found out about the meeting on Sunday, couldn't make it. He was in a neighbouring province.

Noorzai told Lynch on Tuesday that there is abuse and torture in Afghan jails. He also said he has no official complaints that any Taliban suspects handed over to the Afghan government by Canadian troops have been abused.

Last Sunday, O'Connor said he wanted to meet Noorzai to "look him in the eye" and ensure the agreement works.    

Earlier this month, O'Connor said the International Committee of the Red Cross monitored the treatment of prisoners handed over by Canadian soldiers and would report any abuses to Canada, but the ICRC has said that isn't the case. The Red Cross reports directly to the Afghan government.

Canada's Military Police Complaints Commission is investigating allegations that on 18 occasions, troops handed over prisoners knowing they would be abused.

Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association lodged the complaint that prompted the investigation.

With files from the Canadian Press