Background Briefing

Introduction

Human Rights Watch has observed since 2003 the growing use of diplomatic assurances against torture and other ill-treatment as a means of returning terrorism suspects to countries where they face the risk of such abuse.1  This document sets out developments in the use of diplomatic assurances in select individual cases since the publication of our April 2005 report “Still at Risk: Diplomatic Assurances No Safeguard Against Torture.”2



1 See Human Rights Watch, “Diplomatic Assurances” against Torture: Questions and Answers, November 10, 2006, http://hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/ecaqna1106/; Still at Risk: Diplomatic Assurances No Safeguard against Torture, vol. 17, no. 4(D), April 15, 2005, http://hrw.org/reports/2005/eca0405/; and “Empty Promises:” Diplomatic Assurances No Safeguard against Torture, vol. 16, no. 4(D), April 15, 2004, http://hrw.org/reports/2004/un0404/.

2 Human Rights Watch is grateful to the Toronto Human Rights Watch Young Advocates for their work compiling information for these case updates, in particular Jennifer Egsgard, chairperson of the Young Advocates, and Janina Fogels, Nur Muhammed-Ally, Catherine Fraser, Teja Rachmalla, Rahat Godil, and Rita Samson.