On International Day in Support
of Victims of Torture
The London Guantánamo Campaign
invites you to a solidarity vigil with victims of torture
See No Evil, Speak No Evil: No
Impunity for Torturers
At 6.30-8pm, on Thursday 26 June
2014, Outside the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
“Everywhere and every day,
crimes of torture are committed against men, women and children and, in most
cases, no one is prosecuted or punished for them. These crimes are committed
with impunity.”
This year
marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention Against Torture, which became
international law on 26 June 1987. Nonetheless, the use of torture continues to
grow, with impunity. Impunity is the failure of the state to fully investigate
violations; to bring to justice and punish perpetrators; to provide victims
with effective remedies; and to take all necessary steps to prevent a
recurrence of the violation.
The
United Kingdom is no exception to this situation.
The
failure to investigate and prosecute allegations of prisoner abuse by the
British military in Iraq, has led to the intervention of the
International Criminal Court in The Hague. Allegations have also been made of
prisoner abuse in Afghanistan and have been proven
of British intelligence involvement in the “rendition” and torture of
British and foreign nationals abroad. Rather than investigate and prosecute,
the government has chosen the route of secret courts, partial and non-impartial
investigations. NO prosecutions have been brought in spite of the seriousness
of the allegations.
Please
join us as we stand in solidarity with all victims worldwide, raise awareness of the crimes against humanity being
funded by British taxpayers without their knowledge, and demand accountability
and justice.
Some resources on
the UK government and torture impunity:
Globalizing Torture:
CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition (2013), a comprehensive report
on extraordinary rendition: see page 115 onwards for United Kingdom
NGO Liberty on UK
Complicity in Torture
Resources by NGO
Reprieve on UK torture complicity involving its clients
Archives of Baha
Mousa Inquiry into the torture and death of an Iraqi civilian by the British
army in 2003 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.bahamousainquiry.org/
On-going Iraq
torture inquiry (Al Sweady Inquiry)
Detainee Inquiry http://www.detaineeinquiry.org.uk/
All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition http://www.extraordinaryrendition.org/
World Without
Torture: The UK has still not learned its lesson that torture is wrong
On Britain's Use of Torture: http://opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/aisha-maniar/on-britains-use-of-torture
The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague on why it is carrying out a preliminary examination of the UK for war crimes in Iraq
http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/pages/otp-statement-iraq-13-05-2014.aspx
And the UK government's response
The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague on why it is carrying out a preliminary examination of the UK for war crimes in Iraq
http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/pages/otp-statement-iraq-13-05-2014.aspx
And the UK government's response
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