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View Full Version : French Prosecutors Throw Out Rumsfeld's Torture Case Because Of "Customary Immunity"



Gold9472
11-23-2007, 07:26 PM
French prosecutors throw out Rumsfeld torture case

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSL238169520071123?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

(Gold9472: So "heads of state and government and foreign ministers, even after they left office" are above the law?)

Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:27pm EST

PARIS (Reuters) - The Paris prosecutors' office has dismissed a suit against Donald Rumsfeld accusing the former U.S. defense secretary of torture, human rights groups who brought the case said on Friday.

The plaintiffs, who included the French-based International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) and the U.S. Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), said Rumsfeld had authorized interrogation techniques that led to rights abuses.

The FIDH said it had received a letter from the prosecutors' office ruling that Rumsfeld benefited from a "customary" immunity from prosecution granted to heads of state and government and foreign ministers, even after they left office.

It said in a statement it was "astonished at such a mistaken argument" and said customary immunity from prosecution did not exist under international law.

The suit was filed in October during a visit to France by Rumsfeld.

The Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq hit the headlines in April 2004 when details of physical abuse and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers were made public, badly damaging the reputation of the U.S. military.

Former prisoners at the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay are suing Rumsfeld and 10 military commanders, alleging torture and violations of their religious rights during their detention there.

The CCR and FIDH filed suits in Germany in 2004 and 2006 in an attempt to have Rumsfeld tried for rights abuses.

Uber Commandante
11-26-2007, 10:46 AM
Then why are there various 'heads of state' being tried in the Hague?

simuvac
11-26-2007, 01:17 PM
I think Bush removed the US from the International Criminal Court; although that doesn't seem to be the explanation provided above. It sounds like the court just made up a law.

PhilosophyGenius
11-26-2007, 08:19 PM
Then why are there various 'heads of state' being tried in the Hague?


Because they were heads of the wrong countries.



I think Bush removed the US from the International Criminal Court; although that doesn't seem to be the explanation provided above. It sounds like the court just made up a law.

That applies only to soldiers I believe. But I think the dude in this article was saying that they didn't want to press charges on a close/strong ally.