[JURIST] Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture [official website], has voiced concern that countries are using diplomatic assurances to circumvent the absolute prohibition in the Convention against Torture [text] against the forcible return to countries where there is a risk of torture or ill-treatment. Nowak said that some countries are deporting aliens to countries that systematically practice torture, if the accepting government promises not torture that particular deportee, and said that this practice fails to "take up the issue of the systematic practice of torture." In August, Nowak criticized [JURIST report] British Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan to deport Islamic extremists [JURIST report], saying it is likely to result in violations of international human rights law. Britain has reached "Memorandums of Understanding" with Jordan [JURIST report] and Libya [JURIST report], specifying that foreign nationals deported to those countries will not be mistreated upon their return. Earlier this week, the UK and Jordan agreed to allow an independent rights organization to monitor the treatment of deportees [JURIST report]. UN News has more.