25 January 2005: Rights

Amnesty International aren't happy.

They keep writing to a government who arrest people without charge, hold them indefinitely (thus far for three years) without trial or any prospect of a trial, they withhold all human rights, imprison them offshore so they don't come under the constitutional rights of the country concerned, they insist the prisoners are not prisoners of war (thus meaning the Geneva Convention doesn't come into the equation) and they legalise torture by saying it's only torture if the pain experienced is equivalent to organ failure or death - anything less is acceptable practice.

If it was anyone other than the US government doing this, they would probably be more of an outcry.

Today, the last of the British prisoners held there without charge and without trial for three years were released to British authorities, who will question them and quite possibly (like the other prisoners from last year) release them without charge. Which is good, but a little harsh on nationals of countries who aren't such good buddies with the US.

Pinochet must be wondering what he did wrong.