US Faulted for Undermining Torture Convention
US Faulted for Undermining Torture Convention
Sunday, 14 December 2014 11:41
By Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service | Report
United Nations - The timing was inadvertently impeccable as two stinging reports on harsh interrogation techniques by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States and former military regimes in Brazil were released on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.
Not surprisingly, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric was peppered and metaphorically tortured with a barrage of non-stop questions on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons response to the charges.
The secretary-general believes the prohibition of torture [by the U.N. convention] was absolute and non-negotiable, Dujarric told reporters at Wednesdays noon briefing.
But the questions seemed never ending even as he refused to be pinned down.
No, I do not believe the secretary-general had direct communication with anyone in the U.S. administration (after the report was released Tuesday).
No, no one is taking the report as gospel. And it is not for the secretary-general to say it is a definitive report, he shot back. There is an open debate and this is the start of a process, he added.
More:
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/27994-us-faulted-for-undermining-torture-convention