Britain admits abuse

Brisbane Times reports that the Defense Ministry is admitting that its troops tortured and breached the human rights of nine Iraqi men they detained in 2003. The admission comes after years of legal wrangling in which the family of Baha Musa, an Iraqi who was killed in British custody.

The case was one of the British military's darkest episodes in Iraq. All nine detainees suffered 36 hours of violent interrogation before Musa died with 93 injuries to his body, including a broken nose and ribs.

"I deeply regret the actions of a very small number of troops and I offer my sincere apologies and sympathy to the family of Baha Musa and the eight others," armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth said in a statement issued along with the ministry's admission of its breach of human rights.

"During 2003 and 2004, a very small minority committed acts of abuse and we condemn their actions."

Lawyers for Musa's family and the eight others welcomed the decision but said it was still not clear what compensation would be paid and whether the ministry would issue a formal apology.

Read the full story here.

And more here.

Banners Against Torture

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has launched a new campaign called Banners Across America. During the month of June the NRCT is inviting congregations to display banners like the one above in their gathering places.

This is a great way to make a public, clear, and true statement about torture. To order a banner go here.

New Abu Ghraib Movie.

Through word of mouth and a little google stalking, we have discovered that there is a new documentary focusing on the scandal of Abu Ghraib.

This time award winning director Errol Morris has brought us "Standard Operating Procedure."

From the trailer it looks like the film focuses on the pictures that were taken at Abu Ghraib, why they were taken and what each photo tells us.

The film will be released on April 25th. We will make sure to keep you posted on local showtimes.

China's Crackdown

The JURIST had a post yesterday concerning the reported 130 deaths of pro-independence protesters in China:

The protests, which began earlier this month, have escalated into violence as protesters attacked police vehicles, non-Tibetans migrants, and businesses and have prompted the Chinese government to block Internet access [JURIST report] to the video-sharing website YouTube after videos of the government crackdown appeared on the site. Rights groups have criticized China for ongoing human rights violations [HRW materials] targeted at Tibetans, and many call for the total independence [advocacy website] of the currently "semi-autonomous" region. The Dalai Lama, who accused China Sunday of committing "cultural genocide" [JURIST report] in Tibet, has encouraged the protests but said he will step down [AFP report] if the violence worsens.

The full report here.

Rulings on Rwandan Genocide

The New York Times story reports that the United Nations War Crimes Court upheld the ruling of the International Criminal Court in the case of Rev. Athanase Seromba. Seromba sentence was increased to life in prison for his participation in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide:

Rather than seeking to protect his flock, Father Seromba, an ethnic Hutu, had the church leveled by bulldozers and ordered gunmen to shoot any Tutsis who tried to flee the carnage, according to testimony introduced in court. There were no survivors.

“Seromba knew that approximately 1,500 refugees were in the church,” Judge Mohamed Shahabuddeen said, handing down his ruling on the appeal.

“He committed genocide as well as extermination as a crime against humanity by virtue of his role in the destruction of the church. The acts of Seromba are sufficient to constitute direct participation in the crimes.”

Read More.

Croatian General Brought in front of the Hague

The New York Times reports the start of the trial against General Gotovina and his two co-defendants, Gens. Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, for war crimes and crimes against humanity:

Mr. Tieger, the prosecutor, detailed brutalities that he said were inflicted by the Croatian military and the police on Serbian villagers. He said they burned hundreds of homes, killed elderly people who could not leave, killed livestock and poisoned wells to make sure no Serb refugees returned. The operation left “a scarred wasteland of destroyed homes and villages,” he said.

The prosecutor also cited comments from General Gotovina who, in the days after the operation, referred to his troops as “spoiled children” and “barbarians.”

Read more.

5 Years Later

The Wall Street Journal reports on the current state of Iraq. Their finding is that 5 years after the U.S. led invasion, Iraq is a place full of internally displaced peoples and surrounding countries struggle to carry the burden of the millions of Iraqi refugees:

But far more common still is Ms. Abood's journey from middle-class prosperity to transient poverty, reflecting the life-shattering disappointment that many Iraqis now see as the legacy of the war. An estimated four million Iraqis -- over 14% of the country's population -- have been displaced inside Iraq or to neighboring countries, largely due to the chaotic aftermath of the American-led invasion that began on March 19, 2003.

Read the article here.

At Survivors of Torture, International we have been tracking the refugee crisis knowing that evidently some of these folks will make their way to our door. In January the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees released a study in which 754 Iraqi refugees living in Syria were interviewed. Every single person reported witnessing a traumatic event.

Also one out of five of Iraqi refugees registered with the UNHCR (which is more than 19,000 people) have reported being victims of torture and or violence.

No matter what side of the aisle you are on, or what political opinion you subscribe to, it is safe to say we all agree that the war in Iraq has been a hard and devastating time. In light of this fact we are prepared to welcome these survivors of torture and are anxiously anticipating beginning their journey toward healing.

Reactions to the Torture Veto

The New York Times posted letters to the editor in response to President Bush's veto on the restrictions of C.I.A. tactics. The director of the Bellevue/N.Y.U. Program for Survivors of Torture, Allen S. Keller, letter was featured:

The president’s veto does not make us or the world safer. To the contrary, it puts civilians living under despotic regimes at greater risk of being tortured, and sends a chilling message to humanity, including to the estimated 400,000 torture survivors now living in the United States.

Read all the letters here.

In CNN's Behind the Scenes series reporters share personal stories relating to investigations and reporting. In this article Arwa Damon shares the story of Iraqi women living with the consequences of torture.

"You have been beaten, pushed, kicked and blindfolded," Yanar says, describing today's Iraqi woman. "You cannot see, you cannot hear, but you are kicking back. It's not OK to be like that. You kick back and you fight for what you deserve ... you should not be turned into a prisoner."

Read more.

The New Yorker posted an amazing article relating to family detention centers in the U.S. The reporter focuses in on immigrant children and the suffering that tougher immigrant policy imposes on them.

This is an incredible article, a must read for all those who are interested in not only immigrant rights but humanity. You can find the entire article here.