Sunday, May 19th
Last update08:13:53 AM GMT
Human Rights Glance
An inquiry into allegations of UK complicity in torture has been rejected by the Government, as Sir John Scarlett, head of MI6, said the service was committed to human rights.
A Downing Street spokesman said the Government had already said it would publish the guidance it issues on the interrogation of detainees held abroad once it has been revised. "We do not support calls for an inquiry," the spokesman said. "We believe that an inquiry is not necessary."
However, the updated law has dire implications for the activity of Women on Waves. Because the law requires that only licensed clinics can prescribe the abortion pill for early pregnancies, Women on Waves is no longer legally able to offer abortion medication on their campaigns.
The issue of Western complicity in the torture of terrorist suspects is not going away.
But amid the furore about whether members of the intelligence services, or their political masters, should be held accountable, there has been no scrutiny of those who arguably played an equally critical role: the doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and other medical personnel whose expert opinion was relied upon in arguing that "enhanced interrogation techniques" did not constitute torture.
In a startling accusation, defense lawyers in the case of an adolescent arrested and brought to Guantanamo Bay six years ago claim the Justice Department may bring a criminal case against the young man based on testimony from witnesses paid by the U.S. government for their cooperation. Mohammed Jawad was as young as 12 when he was arrested by Afghan police in 2002 and accused of throwing a grenade at U.S. soldiers. Although he confessed to the crime after Afghan officials threatened to kill him and his family, his statements were later ruled inadmissible by two U.S. judges because they were coerced.
The United States and the United Nations sharply condemned the eviction of two Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah and their replacement with Jewish families on Sunday.
TVNL Comment: Yet the US does nothing about the human rights attrocities and violations comitted by Israel and they continue to send $billions of your money to support their human rights violations.
The lawyer who fights for victims of British foreign policy and military action says the stories of abuse at the hands of authority have only just begun.
Tomorrow he is back in court over allegations that British soldiers mutilated and murdered up to 20 civilians in the so-called "battle of Danny Boy" at a checkpoint near Basra in May 2004.
Israeli police have evicted nine Palestinian families living in two houses in occupied East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers moved into the houses almost immediately. The US has urged Israel to abandon plans for a building project in the area.
Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967, a move not recognised by the international community. The evictions have been condemned by the United Nations, the Palestinians and also the UK government.
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