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International prohibitions against torture and inhuman treatment are some of the oldest humanitarian laws in existence. Even with a long and distinguished history of international agreements on this subject, torture remains a problem in the majority of the world. Amnesty International estimates that torture occurred in 140 countries between the years of 1997 and 2001.1
Over the past several years, torture has become an increasingly contentious issue within the United States. Questions concerning what does and does not constitute torture have arisen to the forefront of the American political scene. New questions concerning what constitutes torture, whether torture is an appropriate interrogation tool and when various forms of interrogation techniques can and cannot be legally used has captured the attention of the world at large.
Next: The Geneva Conventions