For those who might want to read the original story it is at http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/09/ntort209.xml
It is really a good idea for posters to cite the article URL with the text for reference purposes and so others don't have to laboriously reinvent the story wheel. David Bier --- In osint@yahoogroups.com, "Bruce Tefft" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > How the law and UN define torture > (Filed: 09/12/2005) > > Daily Telegraph > > Under the United Nations Torture Convention of 1984, torture involves > intentional infliction of pain, by a public official, to obtain information. > > > The full definition of torture in the convention is: "Any act by which > severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally > inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third > person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third > person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or > coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of > any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation > of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person > acting in an official capacity." > > This definition excludes "pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in > or incidental to lawful sanctions", which seems designed to permit the death > penalty. > > Torture is also an offence under English law. The International Criminal > Court Act 2001 similarly defines torture as "the intentional infliction of > severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, upon a person in the > custody or under the control of the accused; except that torture shall not > include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, > lawful sanctions". > > The Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture defines torture > more broadly. It includes the "use of methods upon a person intended to > obliterate the personality of the victim or to diminish his physical or > mental capacities, even if they do not cause physical pain or mental > anguish". > > Precisely what actions may fall within these definitions is a matter for > courts and inter-governmental bodies to decide and this may vary over time. > Amnesty International, which uses a broader definition of torture, says the > understanding of what constitutes torture is not fixed for all time. > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 1.2 million kids a year are victims of human trafficking. Stop slavery. http://us.click.yahoo.com/U6CDDD/izNLAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
