Dangerous Deals: Europe’s Reliance on ‘Diplomatic Assurances’ Against Torture
An Amnesty International report released in April 2010 illustrating a number of fundamental flaws
inherent in diplomatic promises – for the UK “Memorandums of Understanding” – that those deported from the countries they fled will not be tortured. Europen governments embelish and destort the reality of such diplomatic efforts to their publics and courts by …
” ….. misrepresenting the arrangements in place (e.g. claiming that independent bodies will monitor the individual, without having consulted with those bodies); lack of effective means for the sending government to protect a person once a transfer occurs; the absence of good faith willingness and/or ability to ensure respect for the rights of a returnee on the part of the receiving state—already acknowledged asa country where torture, ill-treatment, and other human rights violations are practised, often with impunity; the absence of incentive on the part of both governments to acknowledge a breach of the assurances and to investigate such breaches; and the vague scope of the promises, including how long they are supposed to apply to a specific person.”
