US refused unmonitored Bradley Manning visits to UN investigator

US officials have blocked a UN investigator’s requests for unmonitored visits to Private Bradley Manning, who is accused of leaking secret military and diplomatic cables to whistleblowing website Wikileaks.

Read Full Post »

Egyptian women protesters forced to take ‘virginity tests’, says Amnesty

Earlier this month clashes broke out when the military tried to clear protesters from Tahrir Square on 9 March (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk). According to Amnesty International 18 women protesters were arrested, tortured and forced to take “virginity tests” by the Egyptian army.

Read Full Post »

Bush cancels visit to Switzerland

George W. Bush (photo, from aljazeera.net) has cancelled a visit to Switzerland planned for this weekend.

Read Full Post »

US accused of rights violations by UN

For the first time, the US faced the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, over accusations of human rights violations.

Read Full Post »

The author of the torture memos ‘could be prosecuted’

After the Obama administration released CIA torture memos last week, the US president has left open the possibility of prosecuting officials.

Read Full Post »

Obama breaks away from the Bush era

Issuing three executive orders on Thursday, US President Barack Obama (photo, from cnn.com) took his first strides on the world stage, demonstrating a clean break from the Bush administration.

Read Full Post »

US agents ‘used torture’ at Guantanamo Bay

A Saudi man (photo, from bbc.co.uk) suspected of involvement in the 11 September attacks has been tortured by US agents at Guantanamo Bay, has said Susan Crawford, the official overseeing trials at the camp.

Read Full Post »

Tortured bodies discovered in Mexico

The bodies of 11 men and one woman have been found dumped in an empty lot, next to an elementary school in Tijuana city, in the northwest of the country. Most of the victims had been bound and tortured. Some had their tongues cut out and some were only partially clothed, said Prisna Perez, state police spokeswoman in Tijuana. (photo, from bbc.co.uk)

Read Full Post »

Harsh interrogation techniques sought by US officials

Ways to implement waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques, used at Guantanamo Bay despite legal objections, are actively sought by US military officials, said a senior Democratic senator.

Read Full Post »

US ‘torture’ memo declassified

A declassified 2003 memo has been released by the US justice department. It approves the use of harsh interrogation methods on al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects held abroad.

Read Full Post »