Report calls for full inquiry into Afghan detainee torture scandal
A new report out today urges the federal government to launch a Commission of Inquiry into the role Canadian officials played in transferring Afghan detainees from Canadian Forces custody to Afghan security and intelligence authorities between 2005 and 2011.
What became known as the Afghan detainee scandal made headlines around the world when it broke in 2007. At its height, the scandal came close to toppling Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority government of the day.
It centred around allegations that the Canadian government allowed prisoners to be transferred knowing that they were at risk of being tortured — an action that can qualify as a war crime under international law.
“Canada’s military chain of command and other Canadian officials, including Ministers of the Crown, bear potential legal liability for transfers if they knew, or should have been expected to know, about substantial risks of torture,” writes the report’s author, human rights researcher Omar Sabry. The report was produced jointly by the Rideau Institute and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
In an email to iPolitics, Sabry said that the release of the report was timed for political impact and said he wants to it spark a discussion among Canadians before they cast their ballots on Oct. 19.
http://ipolitics.ca/2015/09/23/report-calls-for-full-inquiry-into-afghan-detainee-torture-scandal/
No comments:
Post a Comment