Amnesty International has urged Canadian authorities to arrest and prosecute the former president of the U.S., George W. Bush as he attends the Surrey Regional Economic Summit in Surrey, British Columbia, Thursday, Oct. 20.
The human rights group called authorities on Oct.12, accusing Bush of “responsibility for crimes under international law, including torture.” The Canadian Press reports an investigation of Bush’s war violations taking place between 2002 through 2009 during the CIA’s detention program running and the war on terrorism led by the U.S.
These “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding were used against detainees. In February 2008, CIA director Michael Hayden confirmed for the first time the agency had used waterboarding, in interrogations of three top Al Qaeda detainees back in 2003. This occurred while the 43rd president was in office.
Amnesty International called upon authorities to prosecute or extradite Bush in a 1,000 page memorandum expressing the case of such human rights violations.
“Canada is required by its international obligations to arrest and prosecute former President Bush given his responsibility for crimes under international law including torture,” states Susan Lee, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
“As the U.S. authorities have, so far, failed to bring former president Bush to justice, the international community must step in. A failure by Canada to take action during his visit would violate the UN Convention against torture and demonstrate contempt for fundamental human rights,” says Lee.
Mayor of Surrey, Dianne Watts, said last Wednesday it is up to the federal government to decide whether or not to take any actions against Bush when he is scheduled to attend the conference with 42U.S. President Bill Clinton at the all-day event held at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel.
Agence France-Press, the world’s first international news agency, states Bush canceled a visit to Switzerland back in February after a very similar call for his arrest.
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