Report Uncovers Psychologists’ Role In Military Interrogations

By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

 WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America – The nations largest organization of psychologists are inquiring into whether it supported the government’s use of torture in the interrogation of prisoners during the Bush administration. The APA inquiry comes after author, James Risen, wrote a book detailing the relationship between psychologists and the Bush administration in the post-9/11 era. The APA has hired David H. Hoffman, a former federal prosecutor, to lead the investigation.

A New report uncovers the role of Psychologists in military interrogations (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian).

Human rights advocates have raised questions regarding the role of American psychologists in the implementation of Bush-era interrogation programs for years. Critics have said that the participation of psychologist allowed the Bush administration to ague that the interrogation procedures did not constitute torture because trained psychologists were monitoring the interrogations. There are claims that Psychologists were involved in developing enhanced interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects.

The report documents how psychologists consulted with the military under their official role of Behavioral Science Consultation Teams. Their key role was to identify any vulnerability of the detainees. The psychologists were then expected to collaborate with interrogators in exploiting them.

What has led to more criticism is the APA’s 2002 decision to modify its ethics rules which essentially gave psychologists greater coverage in aiding with the interrogations. The most significant change in the APA’s guidelines was a new rule that states that if a psychologist was conflicted between the APA’s ethics code and a lawful order, the psychologists could follow the law. This led many APA members to disapprove of the organization’s decision, as they seen it as essentially giving psychologists permission to ignore ethical concerns if ordered by the government to aid in these interrogations. The list of interrogation methods used is troubling, consisting of: beatings, exposure to extreme cold, sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, exposure to prolonged yelling, exploitation of phobias, cramped confinement, prolonged stress positions, forced feeding, deprivation of basic items, and waterboarding.

The APA has long defended its activities against critics who have questioned the ethics of the organization.

 

For more information please see the following:

ALL GOV – American Psychological Association Finally Agrees To Investigate Collusion in Bush Torture Program – 17 Nov. 2014.
THE GUARDIAN – The Dark Side of Psychology in Abuse and Interrogation – 5 Nov. 2013.
THE NEW YORK TIMES – U.N. Commission Presses U.S. on Torture – 13 Nov. 2014.
THE NEW YORK TIMES – Psychologists to Review Role in Detainee Interrogations – 13 Nov. 2014.

Workers Commemorate Massacre in Guyaquil with Hope for Labor Code Reforms Package

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

On Saturday, President Rafeal Correa of Ecuador presented the labor code reforms package, which coincided wight eh 92nd anniversary of the workers massacre in Guayaquil.  President Correa spoke to an audience of about 100,000 people.

Workers rally in Guayaquil / image courtesy of telesur

In the coastal city of Guayaquil, before more than 100,000 workers, President Rafael Correa presented the final package of reforms to the labor code to the President of the National Assembly Gabriela Rivadeneira.

Carlos Marx Carrasco, minister of labor relations spoke about Ecuador’s labor reforms, following the massive show of support.

“Of course, these reforms represent a milestone int eh region and surely, unions, the governments, entrepreneurs from other countries will be watching us.  And hopefully these dreams of our workers are made into reality throughout Latin America also,” said Marx.

The document seeks to expand workers rights, the reforms are universalizing the social security system, extending benefits to some 1.5 million homemakers.  Furthermore, the reforms seek to give rester proaction to workers from historically marginalized groups as well as eliminate fixed-term contracts, among other gains for employees.

“Some have all their right guaranteed, and others, like the campesinos, informal workers, and homemakers did not have anything.  This is why we are presenting these reforms to the labor code and to social security.” said President Correa on Saturday.

Several of the workers attending Saturday’s rally are members of a recently formed union, the United Workers Trade Union Federation (CUT).

The event purposely coincided with the 92nd anniversary of a massacre of about 1,500 workers in the city of Guayaquil who were involved in a general strike.  The fall of cacao prices under the presidency of Dr. Jose Luis Tamayo following World War I obliterated the country’s export potential, greatly affecting the national economy as well as working conditions and salaries.

The strike led to a freeze of all economic and political activities in Guayaquil.  On November 14, several trade union leaders were arrested.  Several people demanded they be released as well as greater protection rights, reasonable work hours and adequate living salaries.  These demands attracted other workers, an their demonstrations were violently repressed.  Around 3,000 members of the military attacked crowds, killing both workers and civilians.

The massacre is commemorated each year with a ceremony, where workers and civilians leave crosses and flower crowns to drift in the river.  The reforms package will not be debated within the National Assembly.

For more information, please see:

Cuenca High Life – Ecuador marks 90th anniversary of ‘Guayaquil Massacre’, as many as 1,500 labor demonstrators died in hail of bullets – 15 Nov. 2014

telesur – Massive Ecuador Rally Commemorates Workers, Advances Revolution – 15 Nov. 2014

el ciudadano – Workers’ massacre of 1922 was hidden by the media in Guayaquil – 11 Nov. 2014

telesur – Ecuador: As Reforms to Labor Code Pushed Forward, Past Remembered – 15 Nov. 2014

New Russian State Television’s Attack on Bill Browder Features Ex-con and Expert Suspected of Involvement in Rwandan Genocide

14 November 2014 – To mark the fifth anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky’s murder in police custody, Russian state-controlled television, NTV will be airing a show on prime time television which will conclude that Sergei Magnitsky was not murdered, and will blame justice campaigner Bill Browder as the man responsible for all of Russia’s problems (http://www.ntv.ru/peredacha/Litera_M/last23598228/). NTV’s show will air on Sunday night at 8:10pm on 16 November 2014.

The new Russian show accuses Mr Browder of being a CIA agent responsible for the devaluation of the Russian ruble in 1998, for the theft of $4.7 billion of Russian IMF funding; and for the murders of Edmond Safra and Boris Berezovsky.

The show relies on several experts, including Oleg Lurie, who was previously convicted for extortion in Russia and served a four year prison sentence (http://www.interfax.ru/russia/67558; http://vz.ru/news/2009/7/27/311732.html).

The show also stars Paul Barril, a former French intelligence officer, suspected by human rights activists of complicity in the Rwandan genocide (http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Faits-divers/L-ancien-gendarme-et-patron-du-GIGN-Paul-Barril-aussi-soupconne-de-complicite-de-genocide-s-est-retranche-chez-lui-arme-d-une-fusil-de-chasse-572173)

“While the rest of the world is marking the anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky’s killing in custody, noting with shock the impunity of Russian officials, the Russian government continues to cover up the crime and blame the victims,” said a Magnitsky Justice Campaign representative.

The Magnitsky case has lead to a dramatic movement in Russian civil society, calling on the West to do something to create consequences for involved Russian officials, and specifically to impose sanctions in the form of visa bans and freezes on their assets in Western banks.

As a result, in December 2012, the U.S. passed the “Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act” imposing such sanctions. In Europe, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), international organizations comprising up to 57 countries, passed resolutions calling on their members and their national parliaments to adopt a course similar to that of the US and impose Magnitsky sanctions. The Russian government and President Putin have made resisting the Magnitsky sanctions one of top foreign policy priorities.

Sergei Magnitsky was a 37-year old lawyer and outside counsel for the Hermitage Fund, who was tortured to death in Russian Interior Ministry custody after he testified about the involvement of Interior Ministry officials in the theft of his client’s companies and the $230 million theft. The Russian officials responsible for his arrest, torture and killing were absolved from any responsibility, promoted and decorated with state honours.

For more information, please contact:

Magnitsky Justice Campaign

+44 2074401777

info@lawandorderinrussia.org

lawandorderinrussia.org

War Crimes Prosecution Watch Volume 9 – Issue 17 November 17, 2014

5 Years After Magnitsky’s Death, Russia Still Trying to get Browder

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – It’s been five years since Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison at the age of 37 and under suspicious circumstances. Even so, Russia is still looking to bring self-claimed “justice” over Bill Browder, a former associate of Magnitsky.

Sergei Magnitsky died in Russian captivity 5 years ago this week. (Photo courtesy of Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty)

Browder was the leader of the largest Russia-only investment firm in the world, Hermitage Capital Management. Browder’s company was worth over $4.5 billion by the early 2000’s. Magnitsky worked as a lawyer for Browder back when things were good.

As Browder became more and more successful, he began pushing for more transparency in Russian capitalism. In addition, Browder also pushed to expose corruption in Russian companies, hoping ultimately to have Russian capitalism come closer to Western models and encourage more mixing between the markets. When Vladimir Putin came to power, however, Browder’s goals were frustrated.

In 2005, Browder made a trip to Britain, but was refused re-entry into Russia after. Shortly thereafter, Browder’s company was declared to have $1 billion in “liabilities,” claimed by Browder to have come from fictitious documents. Quickly, Russia had other officials step in and attempt to clean up the mess Browder allegedly created.

Browder tried to have Magnitsky also flee, fearing what would happen if Russia decided to go after Magnitsky too. Instead, Magnitsky stayed behind and investigated very openly and expressly the fraud that Russia had committed on Brower and his company. He even testified against a group of Interior Ministry officers who allegedly stole over 5 billion rubles, or $230 million, from Russia’s Treasury. Magnitsky was imprisoned by these same officers on bogus charges, and he remained in prison until his physical condition worsened. Doctors were denied to Magnitsky, and under debated circumstances he passed away.

For the 5th anniversary of Magnitsky’s death, Browder has come out with a statement regarding circumstances surrounding Magnitsky. Browder calls into question the “natural causes” that led to Magnitsky’s death. Browder questions why Magnitsky was alleged to have been guilty of crimes but never uncovered any in his investigation. And Browder questions how the Russian state officials involved in the case were all exonerated. Finally, Browder discussed one success in the search for justice that has come since Magnitsky’s death. The United States passed the Magnitsky Act, banning certain Russian officials implicated in the case from entering the US.

After a trial in 2013 posthumously found Magnitsky guilty and Browder guilty in a trial in absentia, Browder was sentenced by a Russian court to 9 years in prison. Russia has repeatedly tried to get Interpol, the international police force, to retrieve Browder from Britain and bring him to Russia, and Russia has repeatedly been denied. However, Interpol has recently decided to give Russia another chance to make their case.

For more information, please see:

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Interpol Said To Eye New Russian Bid For Browder’s Arrest – 17 November 2014

The New York Times – Putin Plays Hardball – 17 November 2014

Law and Order in Russia – Statement by Bill Browder on 5th Anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky’s Killing in Russia – 16 November 2014

The Moscow Times – From the Archive: Magnitsky’s Death Was No Accident – 14 November 2014