The UN human rights office has condemned force-feeding hunger strikers at Guantanamo Bay, calling it ‘torture’ and a breach of international law. At least 21 inmates out of the 100 officially on strike are being force-fed through nasal tubes.
"If it's perceived as torture or inhuman treatment -- and it's the case, it's painful -- then it is prohibited by international law," said Rupert Coville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, AFP reported.
The UN bases its position on that of the World Medical Association, which consists of 102 nations including the United States, Coville explained. The international organization, a watchdog for ethics in healthcare, said back in 1991 that forcible feeding is "a form of inhuman treatment" and “never ethnically acceptable.”
"Even if intended to benefit, feeding accompanied with threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhuman and degrading treatment. Equally unacceptable is the force feeding of some detainees in order to intimidate or coerce other hunger strikers to stop fasting," it said.
According to the WMA’s 1975 declaration, artificial feeding methods should never be used without a prisoner's permission. Full story...
Related posts:
"If it's perceived as torture or inhuman treatment -- and it's the case, it's painful -- then it is prohibited by international law," said Rupert Coville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, AFP reported.
The UN bases its position on that of the World Medical Association, which consists of 102 nations including the United States, Coville explained. The international organization, a watchdog for ethics in healthcare, said back in 1991 that forcible feeding is "a form of inhuman treatment" and “never ethnically acceptable.”
"Even if intended to benefit, feeding accompanied with threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhuman and degrading treatment. Equally unacceptable is the force feeding of some detainees in order to intimidate or coerce other hunger strikers to stop fasting," it said.
According to the WMA’s 1975 declaration, artificial feeding methods should never be used without a prisoner's permission. Full story...
Related posts:
- Pit of hopelessness: Guantanamo grows tense, inmates suicidal...
- America cannot assert moral authority while Guantánamo remains open...
- I’ve been detained at Guantánamo for 11 years and three months...
- Clash over hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay...
- Guantánamo prisoners exert their final leverage...
- Deprived of justice, the Guantánamo detainees' last resort is to hunger strike...
- Blackout TV: US media turn blind eye to Gitmo hunger strike...
No comments:
Post a Comment