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Chargé Eddins Marks International Day in Support of Victims of Torture with Essay in "Pravda"

Op-ed on International Day Supporting Victims of Torture

June 26 marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon has urged that we "reaffirm the inalienable rights and dignity of all men and women. Let us step up the fight against torture and cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment and punishment, wherever they occur."

Wherever they occur…

A decade ago, I could not have imagined that the UN Committee against Torture would ever issue a report condemning the United States for cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners. But it did just that in 2006.

The Committee called on the U.S. to change policies instituted in the wake of the devastating September 11 attacks. It criticized the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, secret prisons abroad, and the use of interrogation methods it described as torture.

In 1948, the U.S. was a principal advocate and early signatory of the landmark UN Declaration on Human Rights. In the aftermath of the Holocaust and other great tragedies that occurred during World War II, we recognized the need for an overarching, internationally-agreed standard of what constituted basic, inviolable human rights.

In the post-war period, the United States strove to promote human rights around the world, particularly here in Europe. Over the years, our emphasis on human rights in foreign policy attracted scorn and irritation from some. But we also achieved a grudging admiration for our dogged consistency in pursuit of the rights and dignity of every individual. And our steadfast support for dissidents, civil society, and the rule of law in the former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe, Cuba, and Burma – among other places – have given hope to many brave souls.

However, painful images from Abu Ghraib prison, debates about so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," and sharp questions about America’s commitment to international law have, quite frankly, lowered our standing. As President Obama recently said, "Guantanamo set back the moral authority that is America's strongest currency in the world." And the lingering effects of the choices we made – "based on fear rather than foresight" – are sure to continue long after Guantanamo has closed.

But close it will. On his first full day in the Oval Office, President Obama promised to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, pledged to adhere to the Geneva Conventions, and unequivocally banned torture. The President made clear his belief that only by enlisting the "the power of our most fundamental values…freedom, fairness, equality, and dignity" can we strengthen our country and keep it safe.

Yet, if all of us are not vigilant, fear and disrespect for other human beings can lead us to acts of cruel, degrading, and inhuman treatment. Whatever the reason and whoever the victims – whether women in Africa, suspected terrorists in Afghanistan, prisoners in Cuba, rioters in Los Angeles, or Roma children in Kosice – the end result is the same: not just grievous injury to an individual victim, but a weakening of the moral fabric and international standing of those societies who commit or acquiesce in it.

President Obama’s principled decisions have put the United States on the path to restoring the values that made us a role model. They recognize that human rights versus security is a false dichotomy. And they promote an open debate about how to redress our past mistakes.

The process will be painful and long. Nonetheless, it is essential.

On this day, however, let us put politics behind us. Let us simply remember and offer our support to the victims of torture. Let us reaffirm our commitments – as states and as individuals – to reject torture and other cruel, degrading treatments and punishments...wherever they occur.