For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 26, 2004
President's Statement on the U.N. International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Today, on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide
elimination of torture. The non-negotiable demands of human dignity
must be protected without reference to race, gender, creed, or
nationality. Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and
we are committed to building a world where human rights are respected
and protected by the rule of law.
To help fulfill this commitment, the United States has joined 135
other nations in ratifying the Convention Against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. America stands
against and will not tolerate torture. We will investigate and
prosecute all acts of torture and undertake to prevent other cruel and
unusual punishment in all territory under our jurisdiction. American
personnel are required to comply with all U.S. laws, including the
United States Constitution, Federal statutes, including statutes
prohibiting torture, and our treaty obligations with respect to the
treatment of all detainees.
The United States also remains steadfastly committed to upholding
the Geneva Conventions, which have been the bedrock of protection in
armed conflict for more than 50 years. These Conventions provide
important protections designed to reduce human suffering in armed
conflict. We expect other nations to treat our service members and
civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Our Armed Forces
are committed to complying with them and to holding accountable those
in our military who do not.
The American people were horrified by the abuse of detainees at Abu
Ghraib prison in Iraq. These acts were wrong. They were inconsistent
with our policies and our values as a Nation. I have directed a full
accounting for the abuse of the Abu Ghraib detainees, and
investigations are underway to review detention operations in Iraq and
elsewhere.
It is often American men and women in uniform who fight for the
freedom of others from tyrannical regimes that routinely use torture to
oppress their citizens. From Nazi Germany to Bosnia, and Afghanistan
to Iraq, American service members have fought to remove brutal leaders
who torture and massacre. It is the American people and their
contributions that have helped to rebuild these traumatized nations to
give former victims hope.
A little over a year ago, American service members and our
coalition partners freed the Iraqi people from a dictatorship that
routinely tortured and executed innocent citizens because of what they
believed in or what ethnic or religious group they came from. In
torture chambers, innocent Iraqis were brutalized and the bodies of the
dead left in mass graves. Throughout the past year, Americans have
assisted the Iraqi people in establishing institutions to ensure
accountability so that such acts do not occur again and to help victims
recover.
Despite international efforts to protect human rights around the
world, repressive regimes continue to victimize people through
torture. The victims often feel forgotten, but we will not forget
them. America supports accountability and treatment centers for
torture victims. We contribute to the U.N. Fund for the Victims of
Torture and support the work of non-governmental organizations to end
torture and assist the victims. We also provide protection,
counseling, and where necessary and possible, relocation in the United
States. We stand with the victims to seek their healing and recovery,
and urge all nations to join us in these efforts to restore the dignity
of every person affected by torture.
These times of increasing terror challenge the world. Terror
organizations challenge our comfort and our principles. The United
States will continue to take seriously the need to question terrorists
who have information that can save lives. But we will not compromise
the rule of law or the values and principles that make us strong.
Torture is wrong no matter where it occurs, and the United States will
continue to lead the fight to eliminate it everywhere.
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