DATE=4/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N / TORTURE (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261004
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A special United Nations investigator says
torture is widely practiced throughout the world.
Lisa Schlein in Geneva says the investigator gave a
report to the U-N Human Rights Commission on
conditions in 82 countries.
TEXT: The 260 page document describes the cases of
people who reportedly were subjected to physical and
mental torture in 82 countries around the world.
The report methodically works its way through the
alphabet of nations starting with Afghanistan and
ending with Zimbabwe. No country is spared. Not even
rich, highly developed countries escape mention,
including Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland and
the United States.
The U-N special investigator on torture, Nigel Rodley
says this past year, he has sent 144 urgent appeals to
51 governments. The appeals were on behalf of nearly
two-thousand people believed to be suffering torture.
He says many high-profile cases of torture are of
people involved in political activities of various
sorts.
But Mr. Rodley says the overwhelming majority of those
who say they are subjected to ill treatment and
torture are ordinary common criminal suspects. He
says these people frequently come from the lowest
social class of society and are too poor to afford
good lawyers.
Mr. Rodley says governments react differently to his
criticisms.
/// RODLEY ACT ///
There's just the cavalier blanket disclaimer
(that there is) no truth, no substance to these
accusations. That's a fairly common one.
Another one will go a little bit further and say
there has been an investigation and the
investigation has concluded. Sometimes the
responses are very detailed about judicial
procedures which have taken place and things
like that and the conclusions of courts. That
tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
/// END ACT ///
Last year, Mr. Rodley conducted special fact-finding
missions to Cameroon, Kenya and Romania. He found
what he calls, widespread and systematic torture in
the two African countries. He says torture is
condoned in Cameroon, if not encouraged in detention
centers. In Kenya, he says suspects are routinely
beaten on all parts of the body by the police. He
says he remains concerned about the situation in
Romania. But he says some conditions in the country
are improving.
Mr. Rodley had hoped to visit China some time this
year. But he says that prospect looks bleak. He says
Beijing was trying to impose unacceptable restrictions
on his visit. (Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/KL
06-Apr-2000 09:34 AM EDT (06-Apr-2000 1334 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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