| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"~Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
02 Aug 2005 05:08:31 PM |
| Object: |
Nope, not even close to GITMO! |
Torturing Iraqi People by Saddam's Regime
Dr. Walid Al- Hilli
General Secretary of Iraqi Human Rights Group (IRAG)
P.O.BOX 2068, London NW10 1JN
Introduction
The Iraqi people, for more than 34 years, have had to endure a series of
shocking and disturbing methods of physical and mental torture by the hands
of the Baathist regime in Iraq. Some of the methods used have not been
practised anywhere else and are truly beyond belief. Torture is practiced
against all Iraqis, irrespective of being an elderly men, women and children
along with those who are sick or disabled. Much detail about the inhuman
methods have been found from those who have left Saddam's prisons and
detention centres, and many have physical testimonies of the terror they
were subjected to.
A grim picture of routine torture in Iraq, whereby awful physical and
psychological suffering is inflicted upon political Iraqi opposition and
detainees. The regime of Saddam Hussein has enforced a widespread systematic
torture and the maintaining of decrees prescribing cruel and inhuman
punishment on Iraqis to force them to renounce their political views, join
the ruling Baath party, stop criticising the government and its policies,
support Saddam's aggressions against Iraqi people and the neighbours of
Iraq, and threaten peace and security of the region.
Where is torture experienced?
The most brutal and ruthless torture takes place in the headquarters of the
General Security Directorate in Baghdad or in its branches in Baghdad and in
the governorates. It also takes place in the headquarters of the General
Intelligence (al-Mukhabarat al-'Amma) in al-Hakimiya in Baghdad, its
branches elsewhere, as well as in police stations and detention centres such
as al-Radhwaniya. There are at least 197 centres for torturing people in
Iraq using 107 different methods of torturing apparatus and equipments.
Detainees in these places are held isolated for months or even years without
access to any lawyers, friends and family visits.
Methods of physical torture
The detainees are tortured immediately after arrest by applying one or more
of the following steps:
The victim is blindfolded, stripped of his clothes.
An electric shock is used on various parts of his body, including the
genitals, ears, the tongue and fingers.
Victim is beaten with different types of canes, whips, hosepipe or metal
rods.
The victim is suspended for hours from either a rotating fan in the ceiling
or from a horizontal pole often in contorted positions as electric shocks
were applied repeatedly on the sensitive parts of his body.
Falaqa (beating on the soles of the feet),
Extinguishing of cigarettes on various parts of the body,
Extraction of fingernails and toenails and
Piercing of the hands with an electric drill,
Al- Mangana (clamp- like instrument places over toes),
Extraction of eyes,
Burning with hot iron,
Dripping acid on the skin,
Breaking of limbs,
Denial of food, and water,
Harm family and relatives,
Poisoning,
Amputation and branding,
And others have had objects, including broken bottles, forced into their
***** are types of torture used widely in all over Iraq.
Detainees have been threatened with rape and subjected to mock execution.
They have been placed in cells where they could hear the screams of others
being tortured and
Have been deprived of sleep.
Some have stayed in lonely detention for long time.
Detainee has also been threatened with bringing in a female relative,
especially the wife, sister and/or the mother, and raping her in front of
him. Some of these threats have been carried out.
Some victims have been tortured with by chemical compounds. Mr. Saheb
Dakhail was completely dissolved in a pool where concentrated sulphuric and
nitric acids used.
Some prisoners have been subjected to chemical and biological weapon tests.
Many prisoners were died after being forced to walk on a mine land.
Detainees are given poisonous Thallium before released. Most of them died
after severe illness, some of them are still partially or totally paralysed.
In many cases relatives of those active in the Iraqi opposition abroad have
been tortured or ill-treated as a way of putting pressure on those
opposition leaders to cease their activities
Scientists, physicians and psychologists are forced by the regime to develop
new and more brutal methods to break down the victims.
JUDICIAL PUNISHMENTS AMOUNTING TO TORTURE
Iraq's legislation prohibits the use of torture. Article 22(a) of Iraq's
Interim Constitution states that ''the dignity of the person is safeguarded.
It is inadmissible to cause any physical or psychological harm''. Article
127 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states that ''it is not permissible to
use any illegal means to influence the accused to secure his statement.
Mistreatment, threatening to harm, inducement, threats, menace,
psychological influence, and the use of narcotics, intoxicants and drugs are
all considered illegal means.'' In fact the Iraqi Penal Code criminalizes
the use of torture by any public servant. Article 333 states that ''any
employee or public servant who tortures, or orders the torture of an
accused, witness, or expert in order to compel that person to confess to
committing a crime, to give a statement or information, to hide certain
matters, or to give a specific opinion will be punished by imprisonment or
detention.
In the mid-1990s Iraq introduced judicial punishments such as amputation of
hand and foot, branding of forehead and cutting off of the ears, and many
people have been left with permanently mutilated bodies as a result of such
punishments. Such punishments have been described as cruel, inhuman and
degrading by international human rights bodies.
In 1994 Iraq, through a series of decrees issued by the Revolutionary
Command Council (RCC), the highest legislative body in the country,
introduced judicial punishments amounting to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading punishments for at least 30 criminal offences, including
defaulting or deserting from military service and performing plastic surgery
on an amputated arm or leg. The punishments consisted of the amputation of
the right hand for a first offence, and of the left foot for a second
offence, or the severance of one or both ears. People convicted under these
decrees were also branded with an ''X'' mark on the forehead.
A number of former soldiers who suffered amputation or had their ears cut
off have fled the country and now live with permanent physical damage as a
result of such punishments
Amputation of the tongue was reportedly approved by the authorities in
mid-2000 as a new penalty for insult or rude remarks about the President or
his family. In September 2000 a man reportedly had his tongue amputated by
members of Feda'iyye Saddam in Baghdad for insulting the President. He was
said to have been driven around after the punishment while information about
his alleged offence was broadcast through a loudspeaker.
Amnesty International's 12-Point Program for the Prevention of Torture by
Agents of the State (October 2000)
Torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is a basic
violation of human rights, condemned by the international law.
1. Condemn torture: torture will never be tolerated.
2. Ensure access to prisoners: all prisoners are brought before an
independent judicial authority without delay after being taken into custody.
Prisoners should have access to relatives, lawyers and doctors without delay
and regularly thereafter.
3. No secret detention: effective judicial solution should be available at
all times to enable relatives and lawyers to find out immediately where a
prisoner is held and under what authority and to ensure the prisoner's
safety.
4. Provide safeguards during detention and interrogation
A lawyer should be present during interrogations. The authorities
responsible for detention should be separate from those in charge of
interrogation. There should be regular, independent, unannounced and
unrestricted visits of inspection to all places of detention.
5. Prohibit torture in law
Governments should adopt laws for the prohibition and prevention of torture
incorporating the main elements of the UN Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention
against Torture) and other relevant international standards. All judicial
and administrative corporal punishments should be abolished. The prohibition
of torture and the essential safeguards for its prevention must not be
suspended under any circumstances, including states of war or other public
emergency.
6. Investigate
All complaints and reports of torture should be promptly, impartially and
effectively investigated by a body independent of the alleged perpetrators.
The methods and findings of such investigations should be made public.
Officials suspected of committing torture should be suspended from active
duty during the investigation. Complainants, witnesses and others at risk
should be protected from intimidation and reprisals.
7. Prosecute
Those responsible for torture must be brought to justice. This principle
should apply wherever alleged torturers happen to be, whatever their
nationality or position, regardless of where the crime was committed and the
nationality of the victims, and no matter how much time has elapsed since
the commission of the crime.
8. No use of statements extracted under torture
Governments should ensure that statements and other evidence obtained
through torture may not be invoked in any proceedings, except against a
person accused of torture.
9. Provide effective training
It should be made clear during the training of all officials involved in the
custody, interrogation or medical care of prisoners that torture is a
criminal act. Officials should be instructed that they have the right and
duty to refuse to obey any order to torture.
10. Provide reparation
Victims of torture and their dependants should be entitled to obtain prompt
reparation from the state including restitution, fair and adequate financial
compensation and appropriate medical care and rehabilitation.
11. Ratify international treaties
All governments should ratify without reservations international treaties
containing safeguards against torture, including the UN Convention against
Torture with declarations providing for individual and inter-state
complaints.
12. Exercise international responsibility
Governments should use all available channels to intercede with the
governments of countries where torture is reported. They should ensure that
transfers of training and equipment for military, security or police use do
not facilitate torture. Governments must not forcibly return a person to a
country where he or she risks being tortured.
.
|
|
|
Related Articles |
46 Nations Back Body to Protect Planet. Nope, We Ain't One of 'Em.
Nope, Cheney/DUHbya Stands Behind Each And Every American!
Nope, Kerry didn't show up for work in the Senate yesterday either....
Howard Stern? Nope. Anal Cyst Limbaugh is the one who's truly offensive
George W. Bush - a master debater? Nope!
David Kay: "We were all wrong" Nope. Not *everyone* got it wrong, David.
After 5 years of Bush's "wars", do we still have an effective military? Nope
Bolton-Iraq has Nukes-Evidence? Nope!
| Animals shoot at choppers, NOPE, Not Iraq folks!
Bombings? Blackouts? Nope, nothing's gonna stop Georgie's 35-day vacation.
Nope. Sorry, rightards, the Culture of Corruption is *not* bipartisan.
Terrorists? Narcotics trafficking? Nope. Homeland Insecurity preoccupied with Cuba
Any Saddam/9/11 evidence over here? Nope. Maybe under here.........................
A Zell bestseller? Nope. There's that li'l bulk sales (+) next to the title.
Is Air America Failing? Nope.
|
|
|
