Research Project:Human rights violation
Human rights violation seems to be increasing globally, including torture, which is still being done to captured detainees across borders. Several human rights institutions, including the UN and other Western countries have come out to criticize the practices being done at Guantanamo Bay detention facility in the US. The facility was opened under President George W. Bush after the attack that took place in September 11, 2001, but its operations and interrogation techniques violate human rights. This research project will shed light on the human rights among prisoners and detainees as well as proper interrogation techniques. Individual rights should always precede national interests, and the detainees at Guantanamo Detention Bay should be treated with dignity and according to their rights as stipulated in the US Constitution.
The Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been criticized several times for its use of harsh interrogation techniques that violate human rights. Indeed, the treatment of detainees at the facility cannot be compared to that of the other prisoners in America accused of committing crimes. The US is the only democratic nation in the world that lacks an independent authority to monitor prison conditions and enforce standards of safety and health (Iacopino & Xenakis, 2011). Prisoner rights are largely ignored by the facility as opposed to other Americans prisoners, as it violates several including the right to free speech, the right not to be punished cruelly, and visitation. The detainees that were taken into the facility after the 2001 incidence are still being tortured and given degrading treatment through their stay in the facility.
The most used tactics for interrogation include the use of deceptive tactics with few exceptions by lying about an incident to get the suspect confess. The isolation technique is also widely used in interrogation, and it leads to deep anxious feelings once a suspect is isolated for enough time. Sleep deprivation interrogation technique is also commonly used, and it keeps the accused awake for several days, and when they are finally allowed to sleep, they get interrogated are woken up and interrogated (Gordon & Fleisher, 2010). Stress positions can also make prisoners uncomfortable and willing to speak during interrogations. This technique involves posing the detainee in an erect standing position for several hours without using any external device. The military detainees at Guantanamo should be interrogated using the above techniques since they do not violate the rights of the prisoners. For instance, the detainee facility can use stress positions and sleep deprivation to make the prisoners uncomfortable and willing to speak. This action will help reduce the criticism and harsh comments made by people concerning the facility.
Torture is not justified as a means of coercion and its use violates human rights. Indeed, most people would opt to use torture when they are certain it would be critical in saving the lives of most people who might be in danger. Once the barrier is broken and people are allowed to use torture as a means of interrogation, this civilization will be devalued and seeds will be planted for future torture. A society that justifies torture can cause the entire judicial system to be brutal and harsh as time goes by and more prisoners get tortured. If a country like the US justified the use of within its borders, a dangerous message of torture and tolerance can be sent to the entire world, and they would more likely copy the practice.
Miranda rights are indeed required for each individual under custody or detention. Miranda rights serve to protect individuals from incrimination and abuse by the police or military (Rogers, Fiduccia, Drogin, Steadham, Clark III & Cramer, 2013). The Miranda warning was created to protect suspects right of the Fifth Amendment to refuse to answer questions that appear to be self-incriminating. Moreover, torture is not acceptable under Miranda standards as each individual should be free from abuse either by the military or police. The issue of nationality should not matter when justice is being done, and the US justice system should ensure that each accused person is judged the same across the nation. The court has severally ruled that the 14th amendment, which elaborates on equal protection of the laws, apply to all people regardless of their race or nationality (Olesen, 2011). The US is a democratic nation with diverse cultures and nationalities, and to promote democracy, rights of the US citizens should not only focus on protecting them but the diverse culture that makes up the nation.
The debate regarding whether personal rights should precede the common good has been around for some time. Both statements are correct and conflicting as well, and the government should try its best to ensure it satisfies both. Individual freedom, however, is more vital than national safety and it should be considered first in any case. The line should be drawn once human rights are violated. Individual rights should be considered since the accused is a person with dignity and a human as well. It is a fact that criminal events cannot be prevented even through laws that promote national security, but human rights are here to stay.
Conclusion
All in all, human rights should always be emphasized in any practice and should not be justified in any case. As much as national safety is paramount to any nation, the military should not be allowed to apply any degrading interrogation technique that may treat the accused using inhumane conditions. The detainees at Guantanamo bay should not use harsh interrogation techniques and deny the accused proper medication. The facility should treat each prisoner with dignity and consider their rights as equal to those of other American prisoners charged with crimes.
References
Gordon, N. J., & Fleisher, W. L. (2010). Effective interviewing and interrogation techniques. Academic Press.
Iacopino, V., & Xenakis, S. N. (2011). Neglect of medical evidence of torture in Guantanamo Bay: a case series. PLoS medicine, 8(4).
Olesen, T. (2011). Transnational injustice symbols and communities: The case of al-Qaeda and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Current sociology, 59(6), 717-734.
Rogers, R., Fiduccia, C. E., Drogin, E. Y., Steadham, J. A., Clark III, J. W., & Cramer, R. J. (2013). General knowledge and misknowledge of Miranda rights: Are effective Miranda advisements still necessary?. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 19(4), 432.