Amnesty International has accused world governments of prohibiting torture in law, but facilitating it in practice. In 1984 the United Nations adopted the Convention Against Torture but the rights group says the practice is nonetheless “flourishing” around the world.
Torture ‘rampant’
“In fact it’s rampant in many countries,” says Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada. “In the last five years alone, Amnesty International has reported on torture in 141 countries. That’s around three-quarters of the world’s states.
“So we have this incredibly strong, clear, forceful promise but at the same time the practice right around the world is that torture happens everywhere and that’s what we need to stop.”
Canada has been complicit, says Amnesty
While torture does not happen in Canada, Neve says in the last decade this country has been complicit in torture that occurred in other countries. This happened either through its immigration policies by which some people are returned to countries that torture, or through national security initiatives which facilitated the torture of people, even Canadian citizens, by foreign governments.
Neve also criticizes Canada for not signing on to an international human rights treaty on torture prevention called the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. “It’s a source of mounting shame that Canada’s not part of the growing list of countries—over 70 countries have signed on to this,” says Neve. “We’ve had 12 years to get on board but we haven’t done so. The treaty would allow for national international inspections of detention centres to look for the conditions that “breed” torture.
Fear of torture reigns
Nearly half of people surveyed (44 per cent) in a new poll commissioned by Amnesty International fear they would be at risk of being tortured if they were taken into custody in their home. A majority of 82 per cent believe there should be clear laws against torture. But 36 per cent still think that torture could be justified in some cases.
Torture ‘shatters’ human rights
Torture is never justified says Neve. “We just need to absolutely always stand against torture because we must, because it’s the kind of human rights violation that goes to the very heart of what it is to have human rights in the first place—dignity, integrity—it shatters all of that.”
There was pressure to exceptionally allow torture in the U.S. in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. But Neve says torture does not yield reliable information and very limited torture never stays that way, its use expands.
Campaign against torture
Amnesty International is launching a worldwide campaign, calling on governments around the world to stop using torture, stop letting police and armies use torture and to put in place safeguards against it. Neve says there must be lawyers and doctors who have access to detainees, there must be oversight of detentions centers, an end to holding prisoners incommunicado, and an end to impunity for torturers. It is time, he says, for concrete action.
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