In legend, Achilles, Greek warrior and hero of the Trojan War, fought Trojan prince Hector to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. Hector had killed Patroclus, and he planned to cut off Patroclus’ head and give his body to the dogs for food. Before the fight, Hector waits for Achilles and then proposes that [...]
Search Results for: enhanced interrogation techniques
On Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a controversial plea deal that would have prevented three alleged 9/11 terror attack planners from facing the death penalty. Earlier this week, a letter to the families of 9/11 victims revealed that alleged co-conspirators Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa al Hawsawi had pled guilty to orchestrating [...]
“Does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office, and if so, to what extent?” This is the latest question the Supreme Court is grappling with that will have a direct impact on a leading candidate ahead of what are expected to [...]
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Lithuania liable on Tuesday for assisting the US with the torture of a man from Saudi Arabia at Detention Site Violet, a secret CIA prison in Lithuania, in 2005. The court found that Lithuania violated several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights against the applicant [...]
UK Supreme Court rules Guantanamo Bay detainee can bring claim against British authorities
The UK Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a Guantanamo Bay prisoner held by the US can bring a claim in the English and Welsh courts against UK authorities. The detainee, Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn (Zubaydah), alleged that British intelligence services asked the CIA to interrogate Zubaydah and sent the spy agency numerous questions to elicit [...]
US military judge at Guantanamo Bay rules that 9/11 defendant 'lacks capacity to stand trial'
A US military judge ruled on Thursday that Ramzi bin al-Shibh, a 9/11 defendant detained in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is unfit to stand trial. Military Judge Colonel Matthew N. McCall’s ruling comes after a medical panel found that al-Shibh has PTSD with “Secondary Psychotic Features” resulting from his abuse in Central Intelligence [...]
UN alleges human rights violations against Guantanamo Bay Prison detainee
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a report alleging that Afghanistan, Lithuania, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US all participated in human rights violations against Abd al-Rahim Hussein al-Nashiri, a man accused of assisting in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Al-Nashiri is currently held in [...]
Will Guantanamo Continue As An Unnecessary Presidential Legacy?
Almost five years ago I contributed to a Commentary to JURIST entitled, “Guantanamo: An Unnecessary Presidential Legacy,” which focused on former President Barack Obama’s unsuccessful attempt to shut down the Guantanamo prison facility because of missed opportunities, faulty decision making, internal administration opposition and ultimately partisan political division that resulted in an unnecessary presidential legacy. [...]
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer on Wednesday called on the US to end impunity for those officials who have committed acts of torture. Melzer urged US authorities to take action on the findings...
Settlement reached in lawsuit over CIA interrogation techniques
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Thursday announced a settlement in a lawsuit against two psychologists who devised the torture techniques used on three former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prisoners. The ACLU filed the lawsuit ...