Monthly Archives: June 2015

Torture and lack of accountability

The report with the above mentioned title has been published on the web page of Swedish Doctors for Human Rights. Among other things, the report mentions the Phoenix programme, carried out during the Vietnam war. The other day, we could read also read an article about special forces, connecting that past with present activities. We wish torture was something of the past, but unfortunately it is not. For example, the Afghan government has earlier ordered special forces to leave a province, after receiving reports about torture and disappearance of Afghan civilians. Democracy Now, Rolling Stone and many others have reported about torture in Afghanistan, and we know that is not the only place where this is happening. We wish these were isolated mistakes, but it is too systematic for that. Looking at the total picture, a more appropriate label seems to be crimes against humanity.