Web pages about "Spain"

Video: Worldwide actions to close Guantánamo

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:28:43 +0000

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Thousands of people, including Amnesty International members and supporters from around the world, have taken action to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo. Amnesty International staged protests in 30 countries on Friday, 11 January.

The world shouts 'Close Guantánamo'

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:25 +0000

Click on the pictures to the right to watch a slideshow with images of the day.

More than simply a call for closure, Amnesty International once again presented the US government with the organization’s framework for ending illegal detentions, whether at Guantánamo or elsewhere. This time, the framework was supported by over 1,200 parliamentarians from around the world.

In some countries, including Belgium and Ireland, some of the parliamentarians accompanied Amnesty International activists at their events and demonstrations.

The infamous orange jumpsuit – closely associated with the inhumanity and illegality of Guantánamo – became once more the icon of this anniversary. There was also street theatre, poetry readings, the recreation of Guantánamo cells in city centres, speeches, rallies and cyber activism.

US military chief wants to close Guantánamo

On Sunday, two days after the anniversary, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Navy Admiral Michael Mullen became the latest US official to say that Guantánamo should be shut down.

“More that anything else, I just think it has been the image – how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States. I believe from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it’s been pretty damaging.”

What you can still do

Go to tearitdown.org and add your support to Amnesty International’s framework to end illegal US detentions.

Post a tearitdown banner in your website or blog.

World marks sixth anniversary of Guantánamo Bay

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:56:54 +0000

Amnesty International is leading worldwide events, rallies and meetings to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo Bay. People around the world will be taking action to seek the immediate closure of the detention centre and an end to all illegal detentions.

Amnesty International events for the anniversary will showcase the recently declassified “Poems from Guantánamo” in countries including Bahrain, Luxembourg, Denmark and Spain. An Amnesty International activist in Bahrain described the poetry reading as “another step forward in our struggle to let the voices of the detainees reach the world... We hope that this anniversary is the last one and that Guantánamo Bay is closed forever.”

Over 1,200 parliamentary representatives from many countries around the world have signed a declaration calling to end illegal detention by the US government carried out in the name of counter-terrorism. Hundreds signed from parliaments across continental Europe, the UK, and Israel – countries that are the staunchest US allies in the “war on terror”.

Other key events include:
UK: In London, there will be an all-night vigil around a replica Guantánamo cage, filled every hour with a new ‘captive’. The morning after will see a mass demonstration in front of the US embassy in London. Hundreds of protestors in orange jumpsuits will sit in stress positions under the eyes of faux US guards. Rallies will also be held at the US Consulate in Edinburgh and through the streets of Belfast.

When: 10-11 January 2008
Time: Vigil begins 5.30pm local time, 10 January. Demo begins 10.30am local time, 11 January
Where: US embassy, 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 1AE

USA: In Washington DC, Amnesty International members and other activists will gather on the National Mall dressed in orange jumpsuits to urge Congress and the Bush administration to shut down Guantánamo. Approximately 100,000 signatures from US citizens and the declaration signed by over 1,200 parliamentarians will be sent to the Bush administration and Presidential candidates.

When: 11 January 2008
Time: 11.00am - 12:30pm local time
Where: National Mall, Washington DC

Sweden: Central Stockholm will host the ‘Guantánamo Bay Luxury Resort’, with activists in jumpsuits leaning back in deckchairs among palm trees, sun and cocktails. In conjunction with the stunt, three Swedish parliamentarians and Director of AI Sweden will give speeches to stress the continuing plight of detainees at Guantánamo Bay.

When: 11 January 2008
Time: 4pm local time
Where: Norrmalmstorg, square in Central Stockholm

Ireland: Towns across the country will find lone participants dressed in orange jumpsuits, white facemasks and placards. Each "statue" will aim to highlight the issue of solitary confinement, while identifying a specific individual in Guantánamo. Other AI members will collect signatures on a petition to be delivered to the US Ambassador. There will also be a poetry competition launched for secondary school students, asked to create poems using only the materials available to prisoners in Guantánamo: white sheets, toilet rolls, plastic cups, etc.

Time: 5-11 January 2008
Where: Towns across Ireland

Bahrain: A poetry reading night will feature former detainees Abdulla Al-Noaimi, released from Guantánamo in 2005 and key contributor to the book "Poems from Guantánamo". Poems by Jumah al-Dossari will also be read.

When: Sat 12 January 2008
Time: 7.30pm local time
Where: Bahrain Human Rights Society

Paraguay: Amnesty International activists will gather at a square in central Asunción and stage a street theatre re-enactment of Guantánamo, as well as collecting more signatures for petitions to close the detention centre and to stop torture and rendition worldwide.

The Philippines: Amnesty International will host a motorcade and street drama demonstration near the US embassy in Manila, also aiming to mobilize supporters from the AI Philippines membership and the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC).

More events are planned in many other countries.

Spain shamed by police

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:08:11 +0000

Spanish police are getting away with repeated acts of torture and other ill-treatment, according to a new Amnesty International report.

The report highlights cases of people who have been hit, kicked, punched and verbally abused by police officers, both in police custody and on the street. Some complainants report being being beaten while handcuffed. Others claim they were threatened with a gun or knife, whipped on the soles of their feet and subjected to death threats.

In one case, a detainee was told that if he did not cooperate, police officers would rape his girlfriend. In another, a man lost hearing in one ear for several weeks as a result of blows to the head from officers.

Research indicates that such cases are not isolated incidents, but examples of pervasive and structural shortcomings in the prevention, investigation and punishment of torture and other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International considers the reluctance of successive Spanish governments to address this problem is exacerbating the climate of impunity which fosters further incidents of ill-treatment.

"The Spanish authorities must end the state of denial regarding torture and other ill-treatment by police officers," said Amnesty International researcher Rachel Taylor.

Victims of ill treatment and torture by the police are frequently denied justice. Court decisions are often biased towards police testimony, while victims of abuse may end up in prison and have their lives and careers ruined.

"Police officers often take the law in their own hands, while the authorities turn a blind eye to their practices which are in clear violation of Spain's international legal obligations. Torture may not be routine but it goes unchecked despite Spain’s commitments under international law," said Rachel Taylor.

The factors contributing to effective impunity for police officers include: obstacles to lodging a complaint; incomplete or inaccurate medical reports; intimidation of complainants by the police and failure to punish the officers responsible due to their non-identification.

"Until the government takes effective action to investigate allegations and bring to justice all those responsible for torture and other ill-treatment, police officers will remain above the law and the climate of impunity will spread," said Rachel Taylor said.

Spain: Reform investigatory system to end torture and other ill-treatment by police

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:14:54 +0000

Acts of torture and other ill-treatment by police officers in Spain are not isolated incidents, Amnesty International said today. The reluctance of successive Spanish governments to address the problem is exacerbating the climate of impunity which fosters further incidents of ill-treatment, the organization warns.

"The Spanish authorities must end the state of denial regarding torture and other ill-treatment by police officers. The lack of political will to address the problem has led to further human rights violations," Rachel Taylor, Amnesty International's researcher on Spain said.

Amnesty International's report, Spain: Adding insult to injury: The effective impunity of police officers in cases of torture and other ill-treatment, highlights cases of people who have been hit, kicked, punched and verbally abused by police officers, including while handcuffed, both in the street and while in police custody.

In some cases, the complainants have claimed that they were threatened with a gun or knife, whipped on the soles of their feet, and received death threats from police officers. In one case a detainee was told that if he did not cooperate, the police officers would rape his girlfriend. In another, a man lost hearing in one ear for several weeks as a result of blows to his head from police officers.

Amnesty International’s research indicates that the cases documented in this report are not isolated incidents but are examples of pervasive and structural shortcomings in the prevention, investigation and punishment of torture and other ill-treatment.

Victims of ill treatment and torture by the police frequently do not receive justice. Often, court decisions are biased towards police testimony and victims of abuse may end up in prison and have their lives and careers ruined.

"Police officers often take the law in their own hands, while the authorities turn a blind eye to their practices which are in clear violation of Spain's international legal obligations," Rachel Taylor said.

"Torture may not be routine but it goes unchecked despite Spain’s commitments under international law."

Amnesty International has identified the factors contributing to effective impunity for ill-treatment by law enforcement officials in Spain which include:

Obstacles to lodging a complaint;
Lack of independent, prompt and impartial, investigations or an outright failure to investigate;
Incomplete or inaccurate medical reports;
Intimidation of complainants by the police;
Failure to impose appropriate sanctions or trial cases ending in acquittal due to the non-identification of the officers responsible.

"Until the government takes effective action to investigate allegations and bring to justice all those responsible for torture and other ill-treatment, police officers will remain above the law and the climate of impunity will spread," Rachel Taylor said.

Amnesty International calls on the Spanish authorities to introduce a range of legislative, judicial, and administrative measures to prevent torture and other ill-treatment. The organization also recommends that the authorities ensure the prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigation of any case where there is reason to believe torture and ill-treatment may have occurred. Furthermore, the authorities are required to ensure that persons responsible for such human rights violations are brought to justice in fair proceedings and to ensure an effective remedy, including reparation, for victims.

See: Spain: Effective impunity of police officers in cases of torture and other ill-treatment CASES (AI Index: EUR 41/000/2007) http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur4100x2007
Spain: Adding insult to injury: The effective impunity of police officers in cases of torture and other ill-treatment, (AI Index: EUR 41/006/2007) http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur410062007

Public Document
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For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

'Off the record' secret CIA detention

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:48:22 +0000

At least 39 individuals who remain missing are believed to have been subjected to enforced disappearance by the US authorities. The wives and children of other detainees in secret CIA custody have also been held in custody and interrogated, either as potential sources of information or to secure the capture of their husband or father.

Based on research by six leading human rights groups - Amnesty International, Cageprisoners, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and NYU School of Law, Human Rights Watch and Reprieve -, the briefing paper Off the Record provides the most comprehensive account of these 39 individuals' apprehension and detention to date, including four missing detainees here identified for the first time.

The full list includes cases of nationals from countries including Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Pakistan, Kenya and Spain. They were arrested in countries including Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Sudan, and transferred to secret sites run by the US government.

In many cases, the current fate and whereabouts of detainees included on the list are completely unknown. In other cases, some speculative information has emerged in the press or through research and investigation.

In all cases, the US government’s silence has created grave uncertainty. The US government must end the use of secret detention, clarify the fate and whereabouts of all people who have been secretly detained and allow them access to their families and to adequate legal process.

The US has the duty to detain and bring to justice anyone responsible for crimes but it must do so in a manner that respects human rights and the rule of law.

Background

On 6 September 2006, President Bush finally admitted what had long been reported – that, in its "war on terror", the USA administration has been resorting to secret detentions and enforced disappearance, which is a crime under international law. The transfer of a detainee to Guantánamo in April 2007 proved that the US network of secret detention was still operating, though the authorities have never disclosed how many individuals have been secretly detained.

Human Rights Council elections 2008 - Spain

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:21:59 +0100

Amnesty International is concerned by continuing reports of cases of torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement officials. In many instances, law enforcement bodies and judicial authorities have failed to investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in line with international standards, leading to effective impunity.

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the reluctance of the Spanish government to face up to the problem of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials is further exacerbating the climate of impunity. Of additional concern is the use of incommunicado detention, which has been identified as increasing the risk of torture and other ill-treatment, as well as constituting a violation of the rights of detainees.

The protocol for law enforcement officers involved in forcible repatriations of foreign nationals does not adequately reflect relevant European and international human rights standards and includes items which may cause serious physical harm in the list of materials approved for use in forced expulsions.

In June 2007, a Nigerian national died of asphyxiation during an attempt to deport him. Witnesses stated that law enforcement officials had covered his mouth with adhesive tape. This practice is not prohibited in the current protocol.

The Spanish authorities have conducted numerous rescue operations to assist migrants and asylum-seekers who have come into danger while trying to reach Europe by sea. However, the rights of many have been violated in extra-territorial processing centres, where conditions of detention and rights of access to asylum procedures do not comply with international standards.

In the case of unaccompanied minors, the best interests of the child have not always been duly considered and some unaccompanied minors have been expelled without adequate guarantees for their safety.

Two years after the introduction of legislation to address gender-based violence, women still face obstacles in obtaining protection, justice and reparation. More than 70 women were killed by their partner or former partner in 2007. Migrant women continued to suffer discrimination in law and practice in accessing justice and shelters.

Following a bomb attack on Madrid’s airport that killed two people, in June 2007 the armed Basque group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) declared its “permanent ceasefire” officially over. Subsequently attacks have included car bombs and the fatal shooting of two Civil Guard officers in December 2007 and a former town councillor in March 2008.

Spanish police are alleged to have been involved in interrogations of detainees at the US detention centre at Guantánamo Bay. The Interior Ministry has confirmed that Spanish police visited Guantánamo Bay in 2002 and 2004.

At least 50 CIA-operated flights travelling to or from Guantánamo Bay are reported to have stopped over in Spanish territory between 2002 and 2007. The government is alleged to have had knowledge of these flights, but failed to mention them to the Spanish Parliament or to the Council of Europe and European Parliament.

In November 2007, the Parliament passed a law concerning the victims of Francoism and the 1936-39 civil war. Despite some positive features, the law falls short of international standards on the rights to a remedy and reparations for victims.

Recent Amnesty International statements and reports:

Ratification of International Treaties

Treaty	Status	Recognition of specific competences of Treaty Bodies	Reservations/Declarations
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)	Ratified	Art. 41 (inter-state complaints)
Optional Protocol to the ICCPR	Acceded		Entered
Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on the death penalty	Ratified
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights	Ratified
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)	Ratified		Entered
Optional Protocol to CEDAW	Ratified	Arts. 8 and 9 (inquiry procedure)
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination	Acceded	Art. 14 (individual complaints)
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)	Ratified	Art. 21 (inter-state complaints) Art. 22 (individual complaints)
Optional Protocol to CAT	Ratified
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)	Ratified		Entered
Optional Protocol to the CRC on children in armed conflict	Ratified		Entered
Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography	Ratified
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance	Signed
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court	Ratified		Entered
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees	Acceded		Entered
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees	Acceded
The Four Geneva Conventions	Ratified
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts	Ratified
Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts	Ratified
Protocol III to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem	Signed

Compliance with Reporting Obligations

Total Overdue Reports	Up to 5 years overdue	5-10 years overdue	10 years or more overdue
5	CEDAW: 6th periodic report CERD: 18th, 19th, and 20th periodic reports	CRC: 3rd periodic report

Cooperation with the Special Procedures

Extension of a standing invitation	Outstanding visit requests (year requested)	Forthcoming visits (dates if available)	Missions carried out between May 2007 and April 2008
All Special Procedures	Independent Expert on minority issues (2006) Special Rapporteur on migrants (2006) Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression (2003)	Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism (May 2008)	None

Sources:

Official Website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights –
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ratification/index.htm
http://www.unhchr.ch/
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/countryvisitsf-m.htm
Official Website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees –
http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3c0762ea4.html
Official Website of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court –
http://untreaty.un.org/ENGLISH/bible/englishinternetbible/partI/chapterXVIII/treaty11.asp
Official Website of the International Committee of the Red Cross –
http://www.cicr.org/ihl.nsf/Pays?ReadForm