CIA torture report: UN, HRW, Amnesty International demand criminal prosecution of US officials

The United Nations and several human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have called on the criminal prosecution of US officials on Tuesday (9 December) following the release of the CIA torture report.

So far no disciplinary action is being taken against any of the US officials involved in the "brutal" interrogation techniques outlined in the report, despite one of them being involved in the death of a detainee.

Rights groups have now called on legal action against the US officials for violating international laws, reported France24.

Ben Emmerson, UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, said: "[The report] confirms what the international community has long believed -- that there was a clear policy orchestrated at a high level within the (George W.) Bush administration, which allowed to commit systematic crimes and gross violations of international human rights law.

"It is now time to take action. The individuals responsible for the criminal conspiracy revealed in today's report must be brought to justice, and must face criminal penalties commensurate with the gravity of their crimes."

Executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Anthony Romero, has called on US President Barack Obama to hire a special prosecutor to investigate, "the role played by the senior officials most responsible for it and by those who tried to cover up crimes. If there is sufficient evidence of criminal conduct, the offenders should be prosecuted."

Describing the revelations out of the report as "shocking", Romero said, "It is impossible to read it without feeling immense outrage that our government engaged in these terrible crimes. The government officials who authorized illegal activity need to be held accountable."

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has said it is now evident that the CIA was acting unlawfully "from day one".

Steven Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International in the US, said: "[The program] gave the green light to commit the crimes under international law of torture and enforced disappearance -- with impunity. It's time for accountability, including a full investigation, prosecutions and remedy for victims."

Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth has joined in the criticism saying, the report, "shows the repeated claims that harsh measures were needed to protect Americans are fiction."

Roth says, "torture will remain a 'policy option' for future presidents," unless, "this important truth-telling process leads to prosecution of the officials responsible."