British Lies to European Court Paved Way for Global Use of Torture
Tom Griffin/Open Democracy25 July 2017
When the European Court ruled that detainees in Northern Ireland were NOT tortured but only subjected to "inhuman and degrading" treatment, it gave the green light to other regimes worldwide.
New evidence shows the court's ruling was based on false evidence - yet people are still being tortured today based on the same ruling.
British forces in Northern Ireland used waterboarding and electric shock treatment on detainees during the 1970s, newly uncovered files show. Witness statements and internal Whitehall correspondence released for the first time could have significant implications for international human rights law and British-Irish relations.
Previous revelations regarding the suppression of medical evidence in 2014 prompted the Irish Government to re-open the original case. The discovery that interrogation practices went beyond the five techniques, and included waterboarding and electric shock treatment, is likely to increase pressure on the European Court to alter its original verdict. In February this year, Channel 4 news covered allegations that British paratroopers had used waterboarding against two Irish men, with the knowledge of then Prime Minister Edward Heath. The latest revelations show the practice was not a one-off.