Extraordinary rendition: Difference between revisions

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'''Extraordinary rendition''' is a practice of the [[United States]] government, where captives are transferred from US custody without going through the regular channels of [[extradition]].
'''Extraordinary rendition''' has had a general meaning, in U.S. law, of obtaining custody of a prisoner, from a foreign country, without a formal extradition procedure . The traditional meaning had been to bypass extradition by requesting a country to deport or expel a non-citizen, into the custody of U.S. personnel. <ref name=USAM9>{{citation
| title = US Attorneys' Criminal Resource Manual
| contribution =  USAM Chapter 9-15.000, International Extradition and Related Matters
| publisher = [[U.S. Department of Justice]]
| url = }}</ref> is a practice of the [[United States]] government, where captives are transferred from US custody without going through the regular channels of [[international extradition]].  


In extradition, sometimes also called "rendition", a foreign government has to submit a formal extradition request, which the captive has an opportunity to challenge, in the justice systemIn the USA extradition requests can be turned down, by the [[judicial branch]], even if the [[executive branch]] is in favor of the foreign nation's request.  The judicial branch can dismiss an extradition request if the charges the foreign government has leveled against the captive are not crimes in the USA. The judicial branch can dismiss an extradition request if the captive has a reasonable fear of facing cruel and unusual punishment if he or she was extradited, or if they had a reasonable fear they would not face a fair trial.
==Formal procedure==
Captives who face extraordinary rendition may or may not have an opportunity to challenge the justification for their transfer. Such captives would typically make their challenge to the immigration authorities in that country, if they are not citizens of it, rather than to its courts.
==Secret procedure==
Legal distinctions have been drawn between secret rendition when there is, or is not, the possibility of tortureUsing the doctrine of [[state secrets]], the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a unanimous decision, dismissed the action of Khaled el-Masri asserting claims related to his extraordinary rendition. One of the concerns in this case, involving a German citizen, was the Council of Europe of June 2006 had reported that el-Masri's account of having been abducted and mistreated was substantially accurate. <ref name=TheJurist20070305>
{{cite news
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2007/03/un-american-way-kafkaesque-case-of.php
| title=The Un-American Way: The Kafkaesque Case of Khalid El-Masri
| publisher=[[The Jurist]]
| author=[[Benjamin G. Davis]]
| date=March 5, 2007
| accessdate=2008-04-15
}}</ref>


Captives who face extraordinary rendition don't have an opportunity to challenge the justification for their transfer.
Human rights critics have expressed the concern that the United States initiates secret extraordinary rendition, and requests nations where the use of [[torture]] is routine to subject selected important captives to interrogation techniques prohibited by US law. <ref name=TheJurist20051206>
 
Human rights critics have expressed the concern that the USA initiates extraordinary rendition, and requests nations where the use of torture is routine to subject selected important captives to torture or other interrogation techniques prohibited by US law.<ref name=TheJurist20051206>
{{cite news
{{cite news
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/12/bush-denies-us-rendition-for-torture.php
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/12/bush-denies-us-rendition-for-torture.php
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| accessdate=2008-04-15
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| quote=
}}</ref><ref name=TheJurist20070305>
}}</ref> .
{{cite news
 
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2007/03/un-american-way-kafkaesque-case-of.php
<ref name=TheJurist20070312>
| title=The Un-American Way: The Kafkaesque Case of Khalid El-Masri
| publisher=[[The Jurist]]
| author=[[Benjamin G. Davis]]
| date=March 5, 2007
| accessdate=2008-04-15
| quote=
}}</ref><ref name=TheJurist20070312>
{{cite news
{{cite news
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2007/03/dangerous-discretion-state-secrets-and.php
| url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2007/03/dangerous-discretion-state-secrets-and.php
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| date=March 12, 2007
| date=March 12, 2007
| accessdate=2008-04-15
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}}</ref>
}}</ref>
[[United States President]] [[George W. Bush]] has asserted that the US Government does not send captives to countries where they will be [[torture]]d<ref name=Bush>
 
The policy of the [[Obama Administration]] has not been fully elaborated, although this Administration has taken a strong policy against torture. Former [[United States President]] [[George W. Bush]] has asserted that the US Government does not send captives to countries where they will be [[torture]]d<blockquote>However, I can tell you two things: one, that we abide by the law of the United States; we do not torture. And two, we will try to do everything we can to protect us within the law. We're facing an enemy that would like to hit America again, and the American people expect us to, within our laws, do everything we can to protect them. And that's exactly what the United States is doing. We do not render to countries that torture. That has been our policy, and that policy will remain the same.<ref name=Bush>
{{cite news
{{cite news
| url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051206-1.html
| url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051206-1.html
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| author=[[George W. Bush]]
| author=[[George W. Bush]]
| date=December 6 2005
| date=December 6 2005
| accessdate=2008-04-15
| accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref></blockquote>
| quote=
}}</ref>:
{{quotation|
"However, I can tell you two things: one, that we abide by the law of the United States; we do not torture. And two, we will try to do everything we can to protect us within the law. We're facing an enemy that would like to hit America again, and the American people expect us to, within our laws, do everything we can to protect them. And that's exactly what the United States is doing. We do not render to countries that torture. That has been our policy, and that policy will remain the same."}}


==References==
==References==
<references/>
{{reflist|2}}

Revision as of 15:41, 18 February 2009

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Extraordinary rendition has had a general meaning, in U.S. law, of obtaining custody of a prisoner, from a foreign country, without a formal extradition procedure . The traditional meaning had been to bypass extradition by requesting a country to deport or expel a non-citizen, into the custody of U.S. personnel. [1] is a practice of the United States government, where captives are transferred from US custody without going through the regular channels of international extradition.

Formal procedure

Captives who face extraordinary rendition may or may not have an opportunity to challenge the justification for their transfer. Such captives would typically make their challenge to the immigration authorities in that country, if they are not citizens of it, rather than to its courts.

Secret procedure

Legal distinctions have been drawn between secret rendition when there is, or is not, the possibility of torture. Using the doctrine of state secrets, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a unanimous decision, dismissed the action of Khaled el-Masri asserting claims related to his extraordinary rendition. One of the concerns in this case, involving a German citizen, was the Council of Europe of June 2006 had reported that el-Masri's account of having been abducted and mistreated was substantially accurate. [2]

Human rights critics have expressed the concern that the United States initiates secret extraordinary rendition, and requests nations where the use of torture is routine to subject selected important captives to interrogation techniques prohibited by US law. [3] .

[4]

The policy of the Obama Administration has not been fully elaborated, although this Administration has taken a strong policy against torture. Former United States President George W. Bush has asserted that the US Government does not send captives to countries where they will be tortured

However, I can tell you two things: one, that we abide by the law of the United States; we do not torture. And two, we will try to do everything we can to protect us within the law. We're facing an enemy that would like to hit America again, and the American people expect us to, within our laws, do everything we can to protect them. And that's exactly what the United States is doing. We do not render to countries that torture. That has been our policy, and that policy will remain the same.[5]

References

  1. , USAM Chapter 9-15.000, International Extradition and Related Matters, US Attorneys' Criminal Resource Manual, U.S. Department of Justice
  2. Benjamin G. Davis. The Un-American Way: The Kafkaesque Case of Khalid El-Masri, The Jurist, March 5, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  3. Greg Sampson. Bush denies US rendition for torture but Rice acknowledges 'mistakes', The Jurist, Tuesday, December 6, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  4. Aziz Huq. Dangerous Discretion: State Secrets and the El-Masri Rendition Case, The Jurist, March 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  5. George W. Bush. President Meets with World Health Organization Director-General, White House, December 6 2005. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.