[lbo-talk] Australians tortured at Guantanamo Bay

Bill Bartlett billbartlett at dodo.com.au
Mon Oct 6 16:32:09 PDT 2003


http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s962037.htm

Lawyer claims Hicks, Habib tortured at Guantanamo Bay

An Australian lawyer working with prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba says he has no doubt Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib have been tortured.

Richard Bourke has been working with detainees at Camp X-ray for almost two years.

"People sometimes argue about the definition of torture, what they are doing clearly comes within the definition of torture under the international convention, but they are engaging in what amounts to torture in the medieval sense of the phrase," he said.

He says reports of torture are being leaked by American military personnel and backed up by former prisoners.

Among the reports he is investigating are claims of prisoners being tied to a post and having rubber bullets fired at them and that they were forced to kneel in the sun until they collapse.

Mr Bourke is considering taking their cases to international tribunals, including the United Nations Standing Committee on Torture.



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