Observing the International Torture Survivors' Day

www.AmnestyAmherst.blogspot.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2012CONTACTS: Mohamed Elgadi & Martha Speigelman, Coordinators mohamedelgadi@yahoo.com

“They took me to a secret prison where I was subjected to electric shocks to my vagina.”
Nora, from Honduras (Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, Survivor Testimonies)

“The torture inflicted on me was intolerable, especially the use of electric shocks and anal penetration using solid objects.” Unidentified male victim (Group Against Torture in Sudan, Survivor Testimonies)

“My father does not want to talk about his experience after all these years. I can see and
feel the mental damage of torture on him.” Mamoun, a child of a torture survivor, Albany, NY

“I will never forget what I experienced. But I’m trying to rebuild my destroyed life.” TK, Kosovo (International Rehabilitation of Torture Victims, Survivor Testimony)

Amherst, MA-In its effort to combat torture, the United Nations proclaimed June 26 as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture and, as the former Secretary-General KofiAnnan declared, "an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable." This
day is an opportunity to stand up together against this cruel crime against human rights. The United Nation’s theme for this year’s torture survivor’s campaign is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation can be effective in empowering torture victims to resume as full a life as possible, as noted by
many human rights advocacy groups. Nonetheless, community support is a key in this journey, according to many victims. “If it was not for my family, close friends and neighbors, I do not think I could have survived” reported one of the half-million survivors who live in the United States. It takes time and resources to re-build the intentionally destroyed lives of those who were
targeted by the government-supported torture establishment. Amnesty International’s Amherst Group 128 observes the United Nations’ InternationalDay for Torture Survivors this June 26th with cautious optimism. President Obama reiterated his strong stance against torture and
considers the CIA Enhanced Interrogation Techniques as torture. However, many voices within the Administration continue to give mixed messages about their stance toward torture. We believe that torture against one person is a crime against all of us.

June 26: Rehabilitation Works

26 June 2012 – Rehabilitation works and is a torture survivor's rightThe United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, on the 26th of June, gives us the opportunity to stand united and remind the world that torture is a cruel violation of human rights. Rehabilitation is the theme for the 26 June 2012 campaign. Rehabilitation empowers torture victims to resume as full a life as possible. However, rebuilding the life of someone whose dignity has been destroyed takes time and is the result of long-term material, medical, psychological and social support.

Read more: www.irct.org/our-work/day-against-torture-on-26-june.aspx

Girifna: Chronicles of Torture

Student Leader Taj al Sir Ja'afar Testifies

"I was taken to an interrogation room, two officers were sitting on chairs in front of a desk and I was made to sit on my knees facing the wall during the interrogation or stand up facing the wall and raising my arms. The first question I was asked was “Have you seen the film Yacoubian Building?”I said yes, they said remember what happened to the boy there?” when I said yes, they were basically implying that the same will happen to me, that I will get raped.".........

"During my detention, exactly after 16, days they came to my cell and took me to another cell where I was beaten really bad. They taunted me with my religious beliefs and called me an apostate and beat me on my back and feet for what seemed to be a whole hour.” Read the whole testimony on Girifna website above.

Sudan Security torture paralegics

source

هم ضباط الأمن هؤلاء بتخويفي بالقتل

الاتهام موجه بصورة مباشرة إلى مدير جهاز الأمن والمخابرات بولاية القضارف الذي أثناء تهكمه (عايزين نتبرك بيك) كانت العربة التي تم نقلي بها ـ وتخويفي بالقتل بها ـ قد تم فتح صندوقها الخلفي وهو يرى .الاتهام موجهه بصورة مباشرة للضابط بجهاز الأمن مجاهد حسن المسئول من ملف شروق بالجهاز وأكيد هو مسئول من كل الملف بما فيه من عمليات قذرة .والاتهام موجه بصورة مباشرة للضابط إيهاب الذي شهد بأم عينيه وضعي على ضهرية العربة وحيدا ، وسمع بأم أذنيه جنوده وهم يصيحون أثناء سير العربة بغرض إخافتي وأمر بجدعي عند إيصالي .والاتهام موجه بصورة مباشرة للضابط محمد قسم الذي أمر بوضعي قرب الزنزانة قبيل إعداد العربة الإرهابية وهو ذات الضابط الذي عيرني من قبل بأن الله خلقني مكسرا ثم من بعد ذلك الاتهام موجه للجنود الذين نفذوا أوامر هؤلاء .وكان منسوبو جهاز الأمن قد جاءوا يوم الأربعاء 18/1/2012عند الثانية ظهرا وطلبوا مني الذهاب معهم ، فرفضتُ الذهاب ، وحدثتهم عن حصصي التي ستضيع وأن هذا أكل عيشي ، فاتصلوا بقيادتهم التي أمرتهم بإحضاري ، وقالوا لي نحن مأمورون ، يقولون لنا (جيبوا فلان نجيبوا .. ده شغلنا .. انت الما تقطع عيشنا) فذهبت معهم ، وبعد وصولي إلى مكاتب الجهاز تركوني خارج المكاتب ، وتحدثتُ مع منسوب الجهاز الضابط صفوفي (يوسف محمود) وذكَّرْته أن امرأة دخلت النار في هرة حبستها لا أطعمتها ولا تركتها تأكل من خشاش الأرض ، ووعدني بأنه سيكلم الضابط المسئول لأن الموضوع خارج يده ، ولكنهم أبقوني لمدة ثلاث ساعات (وقت الذروة بالنسبة لعملي) بدون سؤال أو جواب أو حتى دخول مكتب ، ثم أمر الضابط محمد قسم بنقلي من مكاني ووضعي قرب الزنزانة قبيل إعداد العربة الإرهابية وهو ذات الضابط الذي عيرني من قبل بأن الله خلقني مكسرا .و قال لي مدير الجهاز من على عربته الفارهة ـ لحظة خروجه ـ متهكما ـ (نحن عايزين نتبرّك بيك) ، وقال الضابط (إيهاب) لمنسوبي الجهاز (لامن توصلوا هناك أجدعوا) وظننته يمزح .وأعادوني على عربة بوكس مكشوفة عليها ثلاثة من منسوبي الجهاز يجلسون على المقاعد الأمامية ، وتركوني وحيدا على الضهرية ، وعَمد السائق ـ طوال الطريق ـ على الإسراع المفاجئ مما يؤدي إلى اصطدام الكرسي المتحرك الذي أجلس عليه بمؤخرة العربة ، ثم القبض على الفرامل فجأة مما يؤدي إلى ارتطام الكرسي المتحرك بمقدمة العربة ، كِدتُ في إحداها أن أسقط خارج العربة ، وانكفأ جسدي ـ مع الفرامل الأخيرة ـ على مقدمة العربة فنزلوا بسرعة وأنزلوني على قارعة الطريق ولاذوا بالفرار ..

جعفر خضر / القضارف

global insights: The Ugly Face of Torture

global insights: The Ugly Face of Torture: There has been increased international news coverage of torture, particularly the sanctioning of torture by governments and other official...

Indefinite Detention Bill

WASHINGTON -- Accusing the Senate of "political micromanagement" of national security, the White House Friday stood by its threat to veto a defense bill over controversial military detention provisions.
The National Defense Authorization Act passed Thursday by the Senate contains a section that spells out the military's power to detain Americans indefinitely without trial and mandates military detention for some terrorism suspects.
The White House warned last month that senior advisers would recommend a veto, saying the detainee provisions could restrict the ability of law enforcement to combat terrorism and "make the job of preventing terrorist attacks more difficult."
read more

CVT praises Obama Admin

http://www.cvt.org/files/pg55/Statement_ObamaAdminRemarks_AntiTorture_Draft_28Sept2011.pdf

Statement from the Center for Victims of Torture

St. Paul, MN – Since the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, there has been a small but

vocal group calling for the return to policies of torture and cruel treatment of detainees. A leader

of this group is former Vice President Dick Cheney, who vigorously defends the previous

Administration’s unlawful and misguided interrogation policies in his memoir and during

subsequent national media appearances.

Over the past few months, the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) has been actively engaged in

calling upon President Obama and senior members of his Administration to reassert the Obama

Administration’s renunciation and rejection of torture. That is why we welcome the news that, in a

 

span of one week, two high-ranking officials in the Obama Administration, Assistant to the

President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John O. Brennan and Attorney General

Eric H. Holder, Jr., made unequivocal statements that this Administration will not use torture.1

It is clear this Administration will not violate the rule of law, undermine our national security and

imperil our moral leadership throughout the world.

We know there is still work to be done. We continue to work with other human rights groups to

prevent the use of sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation and indefinite detention. Such treatment

rises to the level of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and has serious physical and

psychological consequences.

CVT will not cease in our efforts to ensure that no future presidency slips back to official policies

of torture. We remain committed to the establishment of an independent, nonpartisan commission

to investigate the use of torture and cruelty in counterterrorism activities post-September 11,

2001.

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