New torture Images Out: Will the United States Government Ratify its Obligations?

Geneva, 2 February 2016

As published:

-After 12 years of legal and political battles, the Pentagon will finally publish pictures showing the atrocities committed against detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan during the two wars that were launched by the United States against them.

-The American Civil Liberties Association announced on Wednesday that the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) is to publish 198 images depicting ill treatment of detainees.

Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) has continued to bring forward the issue of torture to major international bodies including the United Nations Human Rights Council and United Nations Committee Against Torture and calls upon the international community to take all necessary action to bring the perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice.

The Centre, inquires if the U.S government will take the rightful action in concordance with its international obligations, referring all political and military leaders whom directed, allowed, participated in, or kept silent about the torture and degradation of any detainee’s dignity during the period in question. The Centre also inquires if the international community will take any action against entities that practiced unlawful and inhumane activities against detainees on behalf of the U.S Government.

The Ugly American practice has been exposed ever since 2003 and hence the GICJ sees that the recent release of images will further highlight the atrocities instead of simply shedding light on the practice itself. Hence, the Centre calls upon the U.S government to, for once, pause its false propaganda and actually commit to achieving its duties, take all essential action to bring those responsible to justice and provide sufficient remittances to the victims in accordance with the damage inflicted upon them.

The Centre further highlights that the international community is required more than ever to commit to Customary International Law and its norms and shall demand responsibility be allocated to all those behind the outrageous crimes regardless of their political, military or legal position.

The Centre also calls for recognizing the harm inflicted on the victims and eventually convince the responsible entity to award compensation for all psychological and physical damage resulting from the abhorrent practices that are rejected by all legal and ethical rules of our civilized world.