Devastating impact of torture on victims (Video)

The UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment  defines torture in Article 1 as:

"any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third party has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination or any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."

The impact of torture on victims is devastating and far-reaching, with both short term and long term physical and psychological consequences. The impact of torture is aptly captured in a short video sponsored by the European Union.

Watch the 46-second-long compelling video designed to raise awareness about the damaging impact of torture.



International law prohibits torture in all its forms under every circumstance whatsoever. In other words, freedom from torture is a non-derogable right, as laid down in article 2(2) of the Convention Against Torture.

Despite this strong prohibition, state-sponsored torture, or torture authorized by public officials prevails in many countries.

When talking about torture, the U.S, a free country with a shameful record of torture abroad, comes to mind.

It is known that many people have been tortured with the "consent or acquiescence" of top U.S. officials, including former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld.

The US is party to the Convention Against Torture and therefore has an obligation to prevent acts of torture and punish perpetrators. Despite this obligation, the U.S. perpetrated untold acts of torture, with impunity, against  some of its citizens and citizens of other countries under its custody. The evidence against the state officials who authorized acts of torture is overwhelming but there has been lack of will to bring them to justice in a national or international court. This has weakened the voice of the U.S. in international human rights discourse.

The books have not closed on the role played by George Bush and other members of his administration in so-called "enhance interrogation techniques" against detainees in U.S. custody. In October 2011, Amnesty International urged Canada to arrest and prosecute George W. Bush. The fight against torture and its perpetrators continues.

George W. Bush is arguably the "official" face of torture, especially after he admitted authorizing torture and attempted to justify the immoral and illegal practice in his first interview after leaving the White House.

Torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment has devastating consequences on victims. It should be eradicated and the dignity of survivors should be restored.

June 26 is International Day in Support of Torture Victims.

*Photo: The New York Times.

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Court upholds torture lawsuit against Donald Rumsfeld

It is well-known that the administration of George W. Bush subjected thousands of individuals to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Rights groups around the world have urged the U.S. government to investigate the well-documented and shocking allegations of torture, and bring the perpetrators to justice. A U.S. court ruling reveals that it is possible to drag top ranking torture advocates like Donald Rumfeld, former U.S. Defense Secretary, to court.

On 8 August 2011, the Seventh U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Donald Rumfeld could be held liable for acts of torture exacted against two U.S. citizens who were held without charge by U.S. military personnel in Iraq in 2006.

According to the court, two American civilians were allegedly detained and tortured in 2006 by U.S. military personnel in Camp Cropper, a U.S. military prison in Baghdad, Iraq. The plaintiffs, identified as Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, were allegedly subjected to enhanced "interrogation techniques," including sleep, food and water deprivation, and other forms of physical and psychological torture. They were held in solitary confinement in separate cells, without legal representation and "...each had a concrete slab for a bed..."  throughout the unlawful detention period.

Donald Vance was reportedly detained for three months and Nathan Ertel was held for six weeks. Both were released without charge.

The Court of Appeals termed the torture allegations - "extraordinary" - and upheld, among other things, the decision of a lower court to dismiss Rumsfeld's motion to kill the case.

The court affirmed that Secretary Rumsfeld could be held personally responsible for allegations of torture (see pages 14-30 of the judgement) and that he is not protected by "qualified immunity" (pages 30-42 of judgement).

The Appeals Court's decision comes less than one month after Human Rights Watch urged the Obama administration, in a detailed 107-page report, to investigate George W. Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney, former CIA Director George Tenet and of course, Donald Rumsfeld - for alleged torture.

It is interesting to note that some of the torture techniques allegedly used against Vance and Ertel are similar to torture techniques exposed by Human Rights Watch in its report.

The lawsuit brought against Donald Rumsfeld is a civil lawsuit and the former Defense Secretary could appeal the decision of the Chicago Court of Appeals.

There is overwhelming evidence of torture authorized by top officials in the Bush administration. The perpetrators are not above the law. They should be investigated and brought to justice.

The two victims of alleged torture by U.S. military personnel  filed a case against Rumfeld on 18 December 2006. It remains to be seen whether justice would take its course.

Watch the following video in which one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Rumsfeld speaks about his ordeal and quest for justice.

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Human Rights Watch urges US to investigate George Bush for torture

One of the world's leading rights organizations, Human Rights Watch, published a report on 12 July 2011 in which the organization urged US president Barack Obama to "... begin a criminal investigation into US government detention practices" under the Bush administration.

It is known that the Bush administration authorized the commission of widespread and systematic acts of torture against detainees in US custody. The administration allegedly authorized the abduction and transfer of individuals suspected of terrorism to countries where they were tortured.

Perpetrators of torture, more often than not, try to distance themselves from allegations of torture and deny it happened under their watch, but George W. Bush makes no secret of his involvement in "enhanced interrogation techniques" that violate basic human rights and international law.

In a controversial interview in 2010, W. Bush, 43rd president of the US, admitted he authorized torture and attempted to justify torture and other cruel practices exacted against detainees in US custody.

The 107-page report by Human Rights Watch exposes torture in US counter terrorism operations, including the CIA Detention Program and the CIA Rendition Program. The report shines light on the role of four key US officials:

• Former president, George W. Bush.
• Former Vice President, Dick Cheney.
• Former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
• Former CIA Director, George Tenet.

Human Rights Watch believes there is enough evidence to launch a criminal investigation and prosecute the above officials for torture and ill-treatment of detainees. 

The US has signed the UN Convention Against Torture and has a legal, as well as moral, obligation to investigate and prosecute acts of torture, cruel and inhuman practices. Failure to carry out an impartial investigation into state-sponsored torture under the Bush administration weakens the voice of the US in international human rights discourse.

Some torture techniques cited in the report include waterboarding, stress positions, light and noise bombardment, near suffocation, sleep deprivation, hooding during questioning, use of detainees' phobias, "short shackling."

In the report (page 58-59), Human Rights Watch points out that the US has criticized other countries, including Burma, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran and Libya for using the above techniques against individuals in custody.

You are encouraged to read the detailed report by Human Rights Watch, "Getting Away with Torture: The Bush Administration and Mistreatment of Detainees." 

An opinion piece published on the Washington Post, titled "The books aren't closed on Bush's torture policy," written by the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch is also worth reading.

*Photo of George W. Bush. Source: myclassiclyrics.com.

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U.S.: UN Special Rapporteur on Torture denied access to Wikileaks suspect

At a time when the U.S. is echoing calls for democracy and human rights in North Africa and the Middle East, allegations of torture, cruel and inhuman treatment of a high-profile prisoner in the U.S. have gone uninvestigated. A U.S. soldier - Bradley Manning (see photo) - who was arrested in May 2010 on suspicion of leaking classified information, including 25,000 diplomatic cables, to WikiLeaks has reportedly been held in solitary confinement since 2010, amidst widespread allegations of torture and other cruel and degrading treatment. The U.S. government has given a deft ear to these allegations and recently denied the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture unmonitored access to Bradley Manning.

Juan E. Méndez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in a recent televised interview expressed concern about the conditions in which Bradley Manning is being held and the U.S. government's unwillingness to grant unmonitored access to the detained soldier.

During the interview, he spoke about the case of Bradley Manning, solitary confinement and what constitutes cruel, inhuman treatment or torture.



Denying the UN Special Rapporteur unmonitored access to a victim of alleged torture interferes with the work of the Rapporteur and the Human Rights Council of the UN as a whole. The U.S. government should grant the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture unconditional access to Bradley Manning and investigate allegations of cruelty against the soldier.

Blocking UN access to a victim of alleged torture undermines the U.S. government's voice in international human rights discourse and emboldens repressive regimes

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Women subjected to virginity tests by Egyptian Army

Security forces under the Mubarak regime were famous for all the wrong reasons - brutality, extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances, torture and other forms of cruel and inhuman practices - and the fall of the regime was seen by many as a new dawn for Egypt. This vision of a new Egypt where rights are respected has been tainted in many ways, including fresh allegations that the Egyptian army subjected women to forced "virginity tests" and other forms of torture, a few weeks after a repressive regime was toppled.

According to Amnesty International, 18 women were arrested in Tahrir Square on 9 March when the army was ordered to clear the square of protesters after Hosni Mubarak was kicked out of office. The women were allegedly strip searched, photographed naked by male soldiers, beaten, subjected to electric shocks and virginity tests. Out of the 18 women arrested, only 1 was released hours later while the other 17 were transferred to a military prison.

Earlier today, Amnesty International called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate these serious allegations and urged members of the medical profession to refrain from conducting virginity tests because the purpose of the "test" is to "degrade" women.

It is my opinion that the so-called "virginity test" strips victims of dignity and privacy. The bizarre practice is also discriminatory since only women have to face the ordeal.

The Egyptian army is a trusted and respected institution in Egypt, but such a degrading practice sanctioned by military personnel must be fearlessly condemned.

You're encouraged to sign a petition by Amnesty International USA calling for an investigation and an end to forced virginity testing in Egypt.

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Hana Begum: Beaten to death in the name of justice in Bangladesh

Hana Begum. Photo: BBC.

It's hard to ignore the story of a young Bangladeshi girl who was publicly whipped - in the name of justice under the Sharia law - and "bled to death" in January 2010

Hana Begum, 14-year-old, was reportedly accused of having an affair with a married man. On the basis of this accusation, the teenager was sentenced to 80 lashes by a village Islamic court in Shariatpur, Bangladesh. Her family told the BBC that the teenager died six days after she was flogged.

It's worth mentioning that initial post-mortem results conflict with a second post-mortem ordered by the High Court.

After her body was exhumed on the orders of the High Court, doctors found "injuries" and reported that Hana died "because of bleeding." This finding conflicts with initial post-mortem results, and corroborates a statement made by her father - "my daughter has been beaten to death in the name of justice."

Bangladesh is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which it acceded to on September 2000.

Article 6 of the ICCPR states that "everyone has the inherent right to life. The right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life."

Article 7 stipulates that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

The People's Republic of Bangladesh is also party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which accords all children (including Hana Begum) the right to protection of the law. Article 19 of the CRC obliges States Parties to protect children from all forms of violence or abuse, maltreatment or exploitation.

Drawing from the above covenants - the government of Bangladesh has failed in its obligations under international law.

The state should thoroughly and impartially investigate the death of Hana Begun, bring those responsible to justice and protect all children within its borders from such cruelty.

Some noticeable steps have been taken in this direction. A police investigation for murder is on-going; doctors who carried out the initial autopsy have been summoned by the High Court for questioning and five other people have been arrested in relation to the case.

This cruel punishment that was levied on Hana Begum under Sharia law was outlawed in Bangladesh by the High Court in 2010, but a lot more needs to be done to eradicate the practice.

Culprits of such unspeakable violence against a minor should bear the full weight of the law.

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Justification of torture by George W. Bush sends wrong message

In his first interview since leaving office in 2009, former U.S. President George W. Bush shouldered responsibility for authorizing torture, and sent across a wrong message by attempting to justify waterboarding - a form of torture, and other cruel and inhuman practices against detainees.

Watch part of the compelling interview below:



The U.S. is party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) which it ratified in October 1994.

For clarity, article 1 of the Convention defines torture as: "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."

With the consent and authorization of George W. Bush, detainees in detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay were intentionally tortured for the purpose of obtaining information or confessions.

The U.S. has a moral, and legal obligation under international law to prosecute the perpetrators of torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees. The victims are numerous and the perpetrators, including state agents who destroyed evidence of torture, are within reach. Failure to prosecute the culprits, even after such a public confession and shocking justification of cruelty by former President George W. Bush would further weaken the position of the U.S. in human rights discourse both at home and abroad.

As stipulated in article 2(2) of CAT, there is no exception to the law against torture. Freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is a non-derogable right.

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