International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims on APA resolution
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) has issued a statement of qualified support for the American Psychological Association’s recent “anti-torture” resolution. While expressing support it raises concerns about the qualifiers regardin the use of certain torture techniques and expresses regret that APA couldn’t see fit to prohibit psychologists from aiding detention centers that violate fundamental human rights:
APA resolution: a step forward in preventing torture and ill-treatment
The IRCT commends the American Psychological Association (APA) for its passing of a resolution condemning and prohibiting psychologists’ participation in interrogation that involves torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The IRCT commends the American Psychological Association (APA) for its passing of a resolution condemning and prohibiting psychologists’ participation in interrogation that involves torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Coming at a time when American health professionals, including psychologists, have been accused of complicity in torture of terror suspects at US-run detention facilities around the world, the resolution represents a welcome affirmation of the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment and psychologists’ obligation to refrain from taking part in such abuses.
By passing the resolution, the APA joins a number of other major medical professional bodies in sending a strong message that medical professionals are ethically and legally obliged to protect persons in their care from torture and ill-treatment.
While the resolution represents a step forward in preventing torture and ill-treatment, the IRCT is concerned about the qualifiers introduced in the resolution in respect to the scope of definition of the techniques it mentions. The IRCT thus underlines that all of the listed techniques are illegal and unethical in all circumstances and not only when “used in a manner that represents significant pain or suffering or in a manner that a reasonable person would judge to cause lasting harm” as stated in the resolution. Moreover, the IRCT notes with concern that the resolution adopts the United States’ reservations to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, stressing that these reservations weaken the Convention by narrowing its definition of torture with regard to mental pain or suffering.
Finally, the IRCT is concerned that the APA voted against a special resolution that would have put a moratorium on members’ participation in military and CIA interrogations altogether. Given the abuses that have taken place in US-run detention centres around the world in later years and the ambiguities that the present US administration has sown with regard to the absolute prohibition against torture and ill-treatment, the IRCT would have found such a moratorium appropriate.
These concerns notwithstanding, the resolution has the potential to help American psychologists to avoid being caught in ethically compromising situations and to aid them in taking an active role in preventing acts of torture and ill-treatment. To exploit this potential to the fullest possible extent the APA should take all necessary measures to ensure that the mentioned ambiguities are not in any way allowed to weaken the absolute prohibition of any form of torture or ill-treatment as defined in international law.
Jose Quiroga, Vice President and IRCT representative of the North America region
Brita Sydhoff, Secretary-General
Add comment September 7th, 2007