amnesty torture

amnesty torture story

"Torture does not happen in a vacuum," says Amnesty

International's newest report which blames governments

of the world, including the United States for lacking

the political will to stop torture.

Amnesty said between 1998-2000 at least 185 businesses

in 25 countries were making and supplying or brokering

devices used to inflict torture. They go on to report at

least 74 US companies are involved.

"Responsible governments must ban [torture equipment's]

export immediately," said Brian Wood, one of the report's

researchers.

The new report also said "Military, security and police

expertise taught internationally has also been used for

torture. For example, hundreds of School of the Americas

graduates have been implicated in human rights violations

in South and central America.

The report calls upon governments to not only ban the

manufacture, trade and use of police and security equipment

whose use is inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading, but to

suspend the international transfer of electro-shock,

leg-cuffs, thumbcuffs, shackle boards, restraint chairs

and pepper gas weapons.

Amnesty insists governments ensure that the training of

military, security and police personnel not include the

transfer of skills, knowledge and techniques likely to lend

themselves to torture.