Torture and Terror

Al-Marri: Justice Served?

2009-11-09T00:57:06+00:00

On the 29th of October of this year, Ali Al Marri was sentenced by a U.S. District Court to eight and a half years imprisonment. The sentence comes after five years and eight months of illegal detention and being held in conditions amounting to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

CIA Agents Convicted in Italy

2009-11-05T22:14:26+00:00

The Court of Milan has convicted twenty three CIA agents for their role in the rendition of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar. Read more about this historic finding.

Cruelty Spreads

2009-10-13T21:04:56+00:00

The export of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has always been of major concern to torture experts. Read more about the treatment alleged by lawyers of a prisoner of conscience in the United States.

“You Will Not Leave This Place Innocent”: Admissions of Torture

2009-10-12T21:24:34+00:00

Last month, Fouad al-Rabiah was ordered to be released from Guantanamo Bay after admissions that the US Government tortured him to gain a false confession. With such an admission there should be no doubt that a full scale comprehensive investigation is necessary to ensure accountability for actions against the people illegally held and tortured in US run prisons.

Trials in Error: Military Commissions

2009-10-11T21:15:42+00:00

On the 28th October President Obama signed off on the amended Military Commissions Act 2009. Whilst the amendments are a positive start, they still do not comply with internationally recognised fair trial standards.

Human Experimentation at Guantanamo Bay

2009-09-28T00:47:22+00:00

Revelations continue to come to light regarding the CIA's extensive use of doctors whilst "interrogating" so called 'war on terror' detainees. Read more about the involvement of medical professionals in the torture of people detained by the CIA and the US military here.

Bagram: Still no Prospect of Justice

2009-09-20T23:41:03+00:00

On the 14th September, the Obama Administration filed a brief which outlined its continued intention to prevent ANY detainee held in Bagram Airbase from challenging their detention. Read the Amnesty International report here

The Disappeared

2009-08-30T23:52:26+00:00

30th August marks the International Day of the Disappeared. Disappearance, defined as abduction, arrest or detention by the state or its agents, is one of the cruellest forms of human rights violations and it impacts many people around the world.

Special Prosecutor Appointed

2009-08-25T02:46:39+00:00

US Attorney General Eric Holder has appointed a Special Prosecutor, John Durham, to open a preliminary investigation into prisoner abuse cases which commenced as part of the "war on terror". Although this is a positive step, the scope of the investigation is limited to the investigation of only around a dozen cases of abuse and is not going to investigate the many others involved in the torture and abuse of men and women in US custody including high ranking Bush officials.

A CIA Horror Story

2009-08-24T01:13:25+00:00

The internal 2004 CIA Inspector General's report investigating the cruel and illegal 'interrogation programme' run by the CIA after September 11th has been released. The heavily redacted shocking report includes details torture and cruelty including mock executions, threats of killing the detainee's children, the use of guns and power drills in interrogations and having their lives threatened if they did not speak.