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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