To: Ms Amanda Jackson, Chair of the Board at Amnesty International Sweden.
CC: Ms Margot Wallström, Swedish Foreign Minister; Prof Nils Melzer, UNHRC.
From: Prof Marcello Ferrada de Noli, chair; Prof Anders Romelsjö, vice-chair, SWEDHR.
Subject: Psychological torture of Julian Assange.
Enclosures: Prof Nils Melzer’s report and follow-up letter.
Dear Madam Chairman,
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted in its 34th session a resolution which extended the mandate of Professor Nils Melzer as the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, for a further period of three years. [1]
Nils Melzer is Professor of International Law at Glasgow University, and Human Rights Chair at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Switzerland. Formerly, Legal Adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In exercising this mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council, Prof Melzer has thoroughly examined the situation of Mr Julian Assange, and concluded in his report that “Mr. Assange has been, and currently still is, exposed to progressively severe pain and suffering, inflicted through various forms and degrees of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which clearly amount to psychological torture.” [2]
It is worth mentioning that, among other tasks specified in the UNHRC mandate, the Special Rapporteur was assigned with:
“To seek, receive, examine and act on information from Governments, intergovernmental and civil society organizations, individuals and groups of individuals regarding issues and alleged cases concerning torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;” and
“To continue to cooperate with the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and relevant United Nations mechanisms and bodies and, as appropriate, regional organizations and mechanisms, national human rights institutions, national preventive mechanisms and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and to contribute to the promotion of strengthened cooperation among the above-mentioned actors.” [1]
It is within the afore mentioned framework that our organization SWEDHR has recently received a copy of the Special Rapporteur’s documents which are conveyed here.
In our last retrieval of human rights materials published/republished and/or commented by Amnesty International Sweden public site, [3] we have failed to find mention of the reports by Prof Melzer. We have found it neither at the Swedish Foreign Ministry nor at Swedish Prosecutor sites.
We have instead found the recent statements published by your office, in which “Amnesty International Sweden welcomes prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson’s decision to reopen the preliminary investigation on rape”, [4] and where your organization’s most recent update emphasizes, “Amnesty International Sweden does not consider Julian Assange a political prisoner” [4]. Mr Julian Assange is currently detained in the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London, pending extradition hearings at the bequest of the U.S. government in charges related to WikiLeaks’ exposures of war crimes.
We hereby send over the full Melzer Report on the Assange investigation. We would like to draw attention to one main conclusion by Prof Nils Melzer, which states,
“In reality, as far as the alleged incident of rape is concerned, there are no allegations by the concerned woman or other indications of coercive or incapacitating circumstances suggesting lack of consent, as would be required for a finding of rape. Moreover, the evidence submitted by the second woman in support of the alleged incident of sexual assault other than rape consists of a condom, supposedly worn and torn during intercourse with Assange, which was found to carry no DNA of either Assange or the concerned woman.” [5]
We would like to ask Amnesty International Sweden for a comment on the report referring psychological torture of Julian Assange, and to help spreading these important attached documents of the Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Sincerely,
Professor emeritus, med dr Marcello Ferrada de Noli, chair,
Professor emeritus, med dr Anders Romelsjö, vice-chair,
Swedish Doctors for Human Rights –SWEDHR.
Notes and References:
[2] Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment REFERENCE: UA SWE 2/2019. See document in Enclosures, down below.
[3] Amnesty International Sweden / Amnesty International Sverige.
[4] ”Svenska sektionen av Amnesty International om Julian Assange”. Updated 3 May 2019.
”Amnesty International välkomnar vice överåklagare Eva-Marie Perssons beslut att återuppta förundersökningen om våldtäkt.”
“Svenska sektionen av Amnesty International anser inte att Julian Assange är en politisk fånge. ”
[5] Follow-up letter to Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment REFERENCE: OL SWE 3/2019. See attached document below:
Enclosures:
“[On Julian Assange psychological torture]. Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment“. This document contains:
A. Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. REFERENCE: UA SWE 2/2019.
B. Follow-up letter to Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. REFERENCE: OL SWE 3/2019.