Red Cross survey finds indifference to torture

Eight in 10 people think combatants should “avoid civilians as much as possible when attacking the enemy”, according to a report published by the International Committee of the Red Cross. But it also found up to four in 10 people believe captured enemy combatants can be tortured to obtain “important military information. The People on […]

Eight in 10 people think combatants should “avoid civilians as much as possible when attacking the enemy”, according to a report published by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

But it also found up to four in 10 people believe captured enemy combatants can be tortured to obtain “important military information.

The People on War report, from a global survey of over 17,000 people between June and September across 16 countries, found same number of respondents think “attacking hospitals, ambulances and healthcare workers, in order to weaken an enemy, is wrong.”

“In such troubled times, it’s heartening to see that the vast majority of people believe that the laws of war matter. This recognition of basic human values flies in the face of the appalling violations we see on a daily basis in our work”, said the president of the ICRC, Peter Maurer.

“The results also show that we all need to redraw a line in the sand: torture in any form is forbidden. We demonise our enemies at our own peril. Even in war, everyone deserves to be treated humanely. Using torture only triggers a race to the bottom. It has a devastating impact on the victims, and it brutalizes entire societies for generations.”

People on War report found people believed in the importance of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which seek to limit effects of warfare on civilians, wounded or captured combatants.

“The effectiveness and relevance of the laws of war are being questioned perhaps more than at any time in recent history,” added Maurer.

“And yet, it is clear that people do not believe in a battlefield ‘free for all’. The survey shows that there’s a disconnect between the public, who believe that targeting civilians, hospitals and humanitarian workers is unacceptable, and the policies and actions of States and armed groups who commit these acts.”

Torture

The proportion of people who believe torturing captured enemy combatants for information is wrong is at its lowest this year, 48% compared with 66% in 1999.

Two in 10 people said they “didn’t know.”

Ten countries experiencing armed conflict, including Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Nigeria, are part of the survey.

The P5 countries, all permanent members of the UN security council, including China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are also part of the  largest survey of its kind by the ICRC.

The survey indicates people living in or near a conflict-affected country were more like to respond humanely to questions on the laws of war.

It appears people in P5 countries were more resigned to civilian casualties and suffering as inevitable part of warfare, the report noted.

“Faced with constant, gruesome images from the world’s frontlines, we must not lose our empathy and become numb to human suffering,” said Maurer.

The report is an “important insight into what people think today—around the world—about war and by extension about armed violence,” said head of delegation for the ICRC in Nigeria, Karl Mattli.

“We are living in troubled times, armed conflict and other situation of violence, rage in different part of the world, including Nigeria,” adding, "Millions are on the move and their future is unpredictable.”

Healthcare in danger

ICRC communications coordinator Aleksandra Mosimann said health care personnel and facilities have also been victims of war, according to the report.

They “are constantly under attack, causing untold suffering to millions of people worldwide.”

"We will look into the report, strategise and identify areas that call for immediate attention,” said Stella Anukum, director of international and comparative law at the federal justice ministry.

“Coupled with the situation on IDP camps, we shall organise workshops to educate the combatants on what the law says.”