US: Disappearances first. Human rights last
February 9th, 2007
Michael Otterman at the new American Torture site [I can't figure out how to link to individual posts there] tells us that 60 nations this week signed The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances” which states:
Article 1
1. No one shall be subjected to enforced disappearance.
2. No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for enforced disappearance.
Missing from the signatories, of course, was the United States of Torture.
The US, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, expressed “reservations”. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack added that the text “did not meet our expectations.”
See also the discussion at the Balkinization site.
Entry Filed under: International Law, Law, Rights and Liberties, Torture, War Crimes
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