On International Day To End Torture, ACLU Renews Call For Independent Prosecutor

[struggle4progress]

(6/26/2008)

Group Calls For Government Officials Who Authorized Torture To Be Held Accountable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: [phone]; [e-mail]

NEW YORK - On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the American Civil Liberties Union calls on the United States government to appoint an independent prosecutor for U.S. torture crimes, to put an end to practices that involve torture and abuse and to fulfill its obligations under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The CAT, ratified by the U.S. in 1994, forbids governments from deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental pain or suffering upon those under their control, prohibits the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and bars the transfer or the rendition of persons to countries where they could be at risk of being tortured.

"Deliberate decisions within the highest levels of U.S. government to sidestep the torture convention have led to a total erosion of human rights," said Jamil Dakwar, Director of the ACLU Human Rights Program. "It is time to appoint an independent prosecutor for torture crimes and hold high ranking government officials accountable for their role in the widespread, systemic torture and abuse of prisoners."

A report released in May by the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General (OIG) revealed that officials at the highest level of government — including the White House — were made aware of the abuse of prisoners in U.S. military custody overseas as early as 2002. According to the OIG report, senior administration officials failed to stop torture and abuse even after being made aware of it.

Earlier this month, Major General Antonio Taguba, who led the U.S. Army's official investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, called for those who ordered the use of torture to be held accountable for breaking the law. In the preface to "Broken Laws, Broken Lives," a report from Physicians for Human Rights on the medical evidence that the United States has committed torture, Major General Taguba wrote that government investigations, media accounts and reports from human rights organizations have made clear that the current administration has violated international law and that "the only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account" ...

http://www.aclu.org/intlhumanrights/gen/35788prs20080626.html

[defendandprotect]

1. "Calls on the US government" . . . !!! Will Dems try to move on this . . . I bet NO....