Geneva Convention Websites
Recommended websites:
Site Name: Human Rights Education Association
Domain: http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=151
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: This site provides exceptional explanations in layman terms to many legal terms in international law to make them comprehensible to ordinary readers. Many of its explanations are succinct and very precise such as defining collateral damage, non-combatants and 20-year statute of limitations on war crimes. I highly recommend this particular site for anyone who wants to know about international laws.
Site Name: Amnesty International
Domain: http://www.amnesty.org
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: Its motto is apt:”Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” and its logo is also very symbolic: A candle wrapped in barbwire to depict imprisonment. It has presently close to two million volunteers in more than 150 countries and promotes human rights among “prisoners of conscience” - a euphemism for political prisoners. Its original purpose was to prevent the use of torture on prisoners to extract confessions. It won the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its persistent global campaign against the use of torture. Recently, it has focused its efforts on women’s rights.
Site Name: About.com (Civil Liberties)
Domain: http://civilliberty.about.com/od/waronterror/p/torturelite.htm
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: This site talks about American “torture techniques” which are being used against certain “terrorist suspects” (Arab or not) so as to extract confessions and hopefully, for the suspects to name names and implicate other members. America is severely criticized for being a champion of democracy while simultaneously committing human rights abuses in its Guantanamo Bay prison complex. There is widespread use of psychological torture which does not leave any physical marks on the bodies of its prisoners. This is used in conjunction with other forms of torture such as water boarding and sensory combined also with sleep deprivation. America was cited and censured by the International Red Cross for not allowing its members to inspect prisoners held there. The Geneva Conventions specifically prohibits the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading torture techniques for any reason on any prisoner.