United States to Appear Before Committee Against Torture

WHAT: Human Rights First’s international legal director, Gabor Rona, will be reporting from Geneva this week as the United States testifies before the Committee Against Torture, a body of international legal experts established by the Convention Against Torture, a treaty the United States ratified in 1994. Read his reports as they are filed online. Rona will also testify before the Committee.

WHEN: May 3-8, 2006; HRF testimony May 4; U.S. delegation testimony
May 5 and May 8.

DETAILS: HRF submitted a report to the Committee urging it to focus on U.S. compliance with the Torture Convention’s prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. HRF also asked the Committee to question the United States on mechanisms for prohibiting renditions-to-torture and on the remedies available to detainees claiming torture and abuse as a result of U.S. detentions and interrogation policies. HRF’s submission to the Committee is available at http://www.humanrightsfirst.info/wp-content/uploads/pdf/06502-etn-hrf-cat-final-submitted.pdf.

HRF spokespeople are available for interviews:

In Geneva: HRF International Legal Director Gabor Rona, expert on international human rights and humanitarian law (the law of war).

In Washington, D.C.: HRF Washington Director Elisa Massimino, HRF’s chief advocacy strategist and expert on a range of international human rights issues and U.S. compliance with human rights law.

In New York: HRF Arthur Helton Fellow Angelina Fisher, leading young voice on U.S. and international law related to counterterrorism operations.

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Published on May 3, 2006

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