During the administration of former US president George W. Bush [4], the US government tortured opponents of former Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi and transferred them to Libya, Human Rights Watch [5] (HRW) announced [6] in a report (PDF [7]) released Sept. 5. The report, entitled "Delivered Into Enemy Hands: US-Led Abuse and Rendition of Opponents to Gaddafi's Libya," details the ill-treatment and torture, including instances of waterboarding [8], of detainees in US custody. The information contained in the report comes from detainees who have since been liberated, as well as documents and files uncovered after the fall of the Qaddafi regime.
HRW documented instances of rendition to countries with known torture practices, with inadequate procedural standards, and where detainees were held incommunicado. The report also examines the roles that other national governments played in the abuse of detainees and unlawful renditions. HRW made recommendations to the US government and the various national governments scrutinized in the report to investigate allegations of torture and abuse, acknowledge past injustices and take steps to end the use of torture.
From Jurist [9], Sept. 6. Used with permission.
