Baha Mousa Annual Memorial Lecture 2010   

The International Struggle Against Torture

Organised by Public Interest Lawyers, the Law Society, and the Solicitors International Human Rights Group (SIHRG)

London, 16 November 2010

Manfred NowakProfessor for International Human Rights Protection, University of ViennaDirector, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights, ViennaFormer UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (2004-2010)

Table of Content

1. Definition of Torture (Art. 1 CAT)

2. Prohibition of Torture as an Absolute and Non-Derogable Right in International Law

3. Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

4. Issues

5. ‘War on Terror’

6. Fact-finding Missions –

- Overview

- Terms of Reference

- Illustrations

- Conclusions

- Recommendations

7. Communications

8. UN Human Rights Council – Cooperation with States

9. Conclusion

1. Definition of Torture (Art. 1 CAT)

•Causing of severe physical and/or mental pain or suffering

•State responsibility

•Intention; applied to achieve a certain purpose (confession, information, intimidation, discrimination…)

•Powerlessness, defenselessness of the victim, which is completely in the torturer’s power (especially during detention)

→ direct attack on the victim’s dignity and personal integrity→ specific form of violence

•Absolute vs. Relative Rights e.g. freedom of expression, right to life, prohibition of torture and slavery;

•Non-derogable vs. Other Rights e.g. personal liberty, right to life (Art. 15 ECHR), prohibition of torture,

prohibition of retroactivity of penal laws;

•Torture vs. Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CIDT) “relativity” of CIDT (principle of proportionality)

•Reasons for the special Protection of the Prohibition of Torture as Ius CogensMiddle Ages → gradual elimination from criminal lawNational Socialism → absolute prohibitionChile → special protection mechanisms (criminal law, prevention, victim

protection, fact-finding)Bosnia → international criminal tribunals, systematic torture as a crime

against humanity;

2. Prohibition of Torture as an Absolute and Non-Derogable Right in International Law

• UN Special Procedures– Country-specific and thematic mandates– Serve in their individual capacity– Independent, impartial experts– „Eyes & Ears“ of the UN (Kofi Annan)

• Tasks– Fact-finding missions– Communications: Urgent Appeals & Letters of Allegations– Reports to UN General Assembly & Human Rights Council– Promotion of OPCAT and other preventive mechanisms

• Created by UN Commission on Human Rights (Res 1985/33)

• Appointed by Commission on Human Rights/Human Rights

Council for 3 years with one possible renewal

3. Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Rehabilitation & Reparation

4. Issues

„War on Terror“

Death Penalty

Forensic Medicine

OPCATCorporal Punishment

Diplomatic Assurances/Non-Refoulement

Persons with DisabilitiesDrug Policy & Human Rights

Gender-Specific Violence

HIV/AIDS

Impunity

„Incommunicado“ Detention

Methodology

Conditions of detention

Torture Prevention

Children

5. “War on Terror”

• 9/11 as paradigm shift

• Bush Administration- Undermining the absolute prohibition of torture- Negative role model for other States

• Rendition flights and diplomatic assurances

• UN Report on Guantanamo Bay (2006)

• UN Joint Study on Secret Places of Detention (2010)

5. “War on Terror” (cont’d)

JOINT UN REPORT ON GUANTANAMO BAY (2006)

•International law applicable Human Rights Law is applicable also during times of emergencies and

armed conflict ‘War on Terror’ does not constitute an armed conflict in terms of

international humanitarian law

•GTMO: arbitrary detention Detainees are arbitrarily detained for a prolonged period of time and

entitled to challenge their deprivation of liberty (ICCPR Art 9)

•Enhanced Interrogation techniques led to torture Attempts to “redefine” torture: ‘Torture Memos’ Confusion re: authorized/unauthorized interrogation techniques Excessive violence during forced feeding amounting to torture

=> Urging closure of GTMO

5. “War on Terror” (cont’d)

JOINT UN REPORT ON SECRET DETENTION IN THE CONTEXT OF COUNTERING TERRORISM (2010)

•Black Sites Secret detention is irreconcilably in violation of international human rights

law, including during states of emergency and armed conflicts Geneva Conventions, applicable to all armed conflicts, prohibit secret

detention under any circumstances secret detention amounts to enforced disappearance.

•Extraordinary Rendition Flights Responsibility of third countries, incl. European States Corroborates findings of earlier investigations (Council of Europe,

European Parliament, investigative journalists)

•Detention by Proxy disregard of the principle of non-refoulement “outsourcing” of torture

TogoApril 07Togo

April 07

China Nov. 05China Nov. 05

MongoliaJune 05

MongoliaJune 05

Georgia Feb. 05

Georgia Feb. 05

NepalSept. 05NepalSept. 05

IndonesiaNov. 07

IndonesiaNov. 07

Sri LankaOct. 07

Sri LankaOct. 07

Equatorial GuineaNov. 08

Equatorial GuineaNov. 08

Denmark & Greenland

May 08

Denmark & Greenland

May 08JordanJune 06JordanJune 06

NigeriaMarch 07NigeriaMarch 07

ParaguayOct. 06

ParaguayOct. 06

UruguayMarch 09UruguayMarch 09

GuantanamoFeb. 06

GuantanamoFeb. 06

KazakhstanMay 09

KazakhstanMay 09

MoldovaJuly 08

MoldovaJuly 08

(Cuba)2009/10(Cuba)2009/10

JamaicaFeb. 10

JamaicaFeb. 10

(Zimbabwe)Oct. 09

(Zimbabwe)Oct. 09

(Russia)Oct. 06

(Russia)Oct. 06

SudanOct. 06SudanOct. 06

Papua New GuineaMay 10

Papua New GuineaMay 10

GreeceOct. 10GreeceOct. 10

6. Fact-Finding Missions– Overview

6. Fact-Finding Missions – Terms of Reference

• Invitation of the State

• Terms of Reference

– Freedom of movement– Freedom of inquiry

• Contacts with all branches of government;• Contacts with representatives of NGOs, other private institutions and the media; • Access to all places of detention (unannounced visits)• Confidential and unsupervised interviews with victims, witnesses and detainees; • Full access to all documentary material• Photo and video documentation of torture and prison conditions

– Assurance by the government against reprisals– Appropriate security arrangements

6. Fact-Finding Missions– Conclusions

• Torture- Torture is practiced in 17 of the 18 countries- Impunity for the perpetrators- Inadequate compensation for victims of torture

• Global Prison Crisis - Overcrowding- Inhuman conditions of detention

Prison population rate per 100.000 (total)

Occupancy level Pre-trial detainees/ remand prisoners

1. USA 748 (2,297,400 ) [1. Haiti 335.7%] 1. Liberia 97.3 %

2. Russia 588 (833,600) 2. Benin 307.1% 2. Mail 88.7 %

3. Virgin Islands 561 (612) 3. Bangladesh 275 % 3. Benin 79.6 %

4. St. Kitts and Nevis 551 (275) 4. Burundi 268.1 % 4. Bolivia 78.7 %

86. UK (England and Wales) 154 (85,159) 100. UK 106.8 %

135. Austria 103 (8,671) 110. Austria 102.9 % 120. Austria 23.7%

162. UK 14.9 %

210. Nigeria 29 (46,000)184. Kyrgyzstan 49,8 %

184. Egypt 9.9%

213. Faroe Islands 25 (12) 188. Monaco 42.0 % 188. Taiwan 8.1%

216. Timor-Leste 20 (223) 191. San Marino 16.7 % 194. Laos 1.0%

Source: World Prison Brief, Kings College London, 2009

6. Fact-Finding Missions– Conclusions (cont‘d)

2005-2010Urgent Appeals: 755Letters of Allegations: 340

Brookings Study49 % No response24 % Violation rejected without substantiation14 % Responsive but incomplete9 % Immaterial response3 % Steps taken to address allegation1 % In translation

• Attitude of governments towards UN Special Procedures• Lack of awareness for allegations of torture

7. Communications

8. UN Human Rights Council– Cooperation with States

• Dominance of regional blocks and national interests over objective human rights monitoring

• Frequent invitations to fact-finding missions for political reasons, less because of a genuine interest in improving the

situation (“window dressing”)

• OHCHR uses code of conduct to interfere with independence of experts: self-censorship

• Many States in the Human Rights Council do not consider experts as a genuine component of the Council but rather as a

disturbing factor

9. Recommendations

• Reform of the Human Rights Council: Reducing influence of political blocks, revaluating independent experts, reacting to widespread and systematic human rights violations

• Bringing the perpetrators of torture to justice

• Providing the victims of torture with an effective remedy and adequate reparation for the harm suffered

• Ratification of OPCAT and establishment of national preventive mechanisms (NPM)

• Urgent need for a UN Convention on the Rights of Detainees

• Establishment of a World Court of Human Rights

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights http://bim.lbg.ac.at

Atlas of Torturehttp://www.atlas-of-torture.org