Torture
Torture involves the use of intimidation, humiliation, discomfort and pain to extract information and confessions from prisoners and suspects held by the state. Debates on torture usually focus on its use by state actors – groups or individuals who have been given the right to use force and authority to achieve objectives decided on by a government. Torture used in other circumstances is simply criminal, something that it is the responsibility of governments to prevent, detect and punish. Amendments to the US constitution and to the intergovernmental and supranational agreements that define basic rights in other liberal democratic states prohibit the use of torture by state agents. It is seen as being a political taboo even more significant than state sanctioned killings. Not only is the objective of torture to discover information, rather than protect the security and liberty of others, torture also requires a state to actively harm and intentionally degrade the quality of life of a human being.
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Amendments to the US constitution and to the intergovernmental and supranational agreements that define basic rights in other liberal democratic states prohibit the use of torture by state agents. And yet: http:// 1
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