Panel: Torture of Afghan Detainees: Canada’s Alleged Complicity and the Need for a Public Inquiry
As part of the 9th annual Ottawa Peace Festival, Omar Sabry will lead a discussion on the recently released report, entitled Torture of Afghan Detainees: Canada’s Alleged Complicity and the Need for a Public Inquiry, released by the Rideau Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
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The link to the report, Torture of Afghan Detainees: Canada’s Alleged Complicity and the Need for a Public Inquiry rideauinstitute.ca/wp-content/upl…by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 2:23:01 PM -
Getting all set up for the Panel today! About five minutes to go here. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQQ-CEfUAAA8IEr.jpg
by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 10:28:22 PM -
Our speaker today is Omar Sabry, a human rights activist and researcher based in Ottawa. Taken from the Rideau Institute public release forum: In transferring hundreds to the custody of the NDS in Kandahar, Canada failed to prevent the torture of many Afghan detainees,” said Sabry.
The government occasionally suspended transfers for various reasons, including disturbing allegations of abuse, but then resumed transfers on at least six occasions. The government’s conduct in this regard was haphazard and unprincipled, in addition to being in violation of international law.” -
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And we are underway ! @rideauinstitute http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQRCFzzWIAAxrPA.jpg
by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 10:46:04 PM -
Omar Sabry: Torture a routine part of the procedures, particularly during the investigation stage of detainees in order to extort confessions from detainees transferred by Canadians. Kandahar is the worst province for the use of torture in Afghanistan. The conflict-related detainees were the most subject to torture.
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In 2012, a report was released detailing the forms of torture endured by the detainees: beating, most often with kicks, cables, pipes and hoses, suspension (being hung by cables, metal cuffs), electric shock, threatened sexual abuse, forced prolonged standing with arms suspended in the air, burning with cigarettes. -
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.@sabryomar : torture of Afghan detainees included beating, electric shocks burning with cigarettes to name a few @rideauinstitute #elxn42by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 11:03:34 PM
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After the Canadian government signed a transfer arrangement in 2005, Canada could not monitor conditions of detainees in detention facilities after they were transferred. Canada signed a second transfer arrangement in 2007, which allowed Canada to monitor condition of detainees themselves. Reports then started to become public, but torture was often able to be hidden by authorities and thus was often not detected and recorded.
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Sabry detailed pattern of government transferred detainees, and allegations of torture would be released, government would temporarily suspend transfer, then government would decide conditions are adequate, so transfers were continued. Torture included detainees being beaten by electric cables, being forced to stand for long periods of time, being threatened with execution or sexual assault. This detailed pattern detected by Sabry occured on at least 6 occasions.
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1) transfer tun exclusively by Canadian government
2) run by afghan authorities but with more Canadian involvement
3) transferred detainees to another authority other than the NDS (worse organisation)
4) transferred to NDS in Kabul, not Kandahar
Started transfers in 2006 to end of 2011, so Canadian government transferred 100's of detainees, no evidence government considered these alternatives. -
A 2015 report stated more than one third of Afghan detainees were tortured. @rideauinstitute #elxn42by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 11:27:57 PM
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Audience riveted by descriptions and statistics by @sabryomar on Canadian complicity on torture of detainees #elxn42 http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQRMcOuUsAAvzR6.jpg
by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 11:31:20 PM -
No testament to @sabryomar and his speech, but someone is snoring, loudly during discussion. Hilarious. @rideauinstituteby BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 11:35:11 PM
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There is a huge Government resistance to diffusion of this issue- the public has the right to know all the details . A public discussion is the only effective way people will know full extent of Canada’s practice in relation to afghan detainees and Canada's respect, or lack there of Canada’s international law provisions.
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Mason: The question is why was there not a NATO run, or more closely monitored, detention facility? @rideauinstitute #elxn42by BreaElford via twitter 10/1/2015 11:52:03 PM
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Sabry: The prohibition of torture has risen in International Law, and has reached such a status that it can never be suspended. It is such a basic principle of international law, governments could never theoretically sign a treaty to allow for torture. If there is a substantial risk an individual will be tortured, that individual will not be transferred under same law.
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Peggy Mason: on getting public inquiry "Incredible stonewalling by government on every turn". #elxn42 @rideauinstitute @sabryomarby BreaElford via twitter 10/2/2015 12:12:51 AM
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In response to question about what else is being done to raise public inquiry on torture issue: Sabry is hoping to get more media attention.They brought report to various media sources with little to no discussion. There have been no releases from any political party.
There was initial push back saying that there was nothing new. But this issue of torture is unfinished business. -
Re:public inquiry, accountability:"this wasn’t accidental that we launched this during the election campaign"-Mason @rideauinstitute #elxn42by BreaElford via twitter 10/2/2015 12:33:57 AM