Russian FM hopes US will comply with UN anti-torture convention

MOSCOW, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- All signatories to the UN convention
against torture, including the United States, must strictly comply with
their liabilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry's commissioner for human
rights, democracy and the supremacy of law, Konstantin Dolgov, said in
connection with the lawsuit against Jeppersen Dataplan.
"Moscow has taken note of the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court has
rejected a claim from the non-governmental organization The American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU), filed back in May 2007, during the Bush
presidency, for recognizing the airline company Jeppersen Dataplan guilty
of illegally transporting suspected terrorists to secret CIA prisons that
are located abroad, particularly, in Afghanistan and Thailand, and for
compensating for the damage done to victims of torture practiced at these
centers," said Dolgov. "Judging by the incoming information many years of
efforts by the human rights organization and its clients to achieve
justice in the U.S. were in vain."
"The previous U.S. Administration referred to the 'need for the
observance of state secrets' for the purpose of blocking the lawsuit
against Jeppersen Dataplan, so "it is difficult to disagree with the ACLU'
s opinion "torture is not a state secret, but a crime," the diplomat said.
"We consider it important that all countries, including the United
States who are signatories to the UN Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, should strictly comply with the
obligations, undertaken within its framework," he stressed.
"The U.S. is proud of its "unique" judicial system and even argues
that it operates on higher human rights standards than the ones
collectively developed by the international community," Dolgov said. "In
practice, the American justice acts very selectively - for foreigners
suspected of crimes standing trial in U.S. is often akin to "torture."
This is experienced, in particular, by those Russian citizens, who
actually were kidnapped by U.S. intelligence agencies in other states, and
then subjected to litigation in the United States."
"To justify the legality of such methods a whole arsenal of means is
put to use, including pressure on the court and jury with the media," the
Russian Foreign Ministry's human rights commissioner said.
"As for the numerous prisoners of jails in Guantanamo and Bagram, they
are denied the right to have their cases heard by an independent court,"
Dolgov added. "We hope that the Obama Administration will act on its
election pledges to deal with the lawlessness that is being committed on
the pretext of "war on terror."
"For our part, will shall continue to monitor closely the developments
around this significant international human rights issue," the diplomat
said. "We also hope that the U.S. side will fully implement the many
recommendations of the UN Council on Human Rights, formulated on the basis
of the Universal Periodic Review of human rights in the U.S."
"We are ready to develop mutually respectful dialogue with Washington
on human rights issues," he concluded.