The Justice Department & the UN Convention Against Torture

The Geneva Conventions were not the only restrictions on how the U.S. could treat prisoners. One of these was the UN Convention against torture, but the U.S. Justice Department found ways to circumvent around this convention. By picking apart the wording, and claiming that there was no precise definition, the Justice Department was able to render this convention powerless.

John Yoo, former Assistant Deputy Attorney General

In August 2002, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department issued a memorandum to the Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General of the United States, regarding the Department's views regarding the convention against torture.

Alberto Gonzales, 80th U.S. Attorney General

The Department stated that physical torture must amount to loss of organ function, impairment of bodily function or even death. With the Department's definition of physical pain, it basically allowed extreme and deadly interrogation techniques, with virtually no consequences to the abuser. Although the memo stated that torture was prohibited, the definition was so narrow that it left room for individual interpretation. The letter was the focus of widespread criticism after its' release, with critics agreeing that they were ineffective and left too much room for interpretation.