Australia to prohibit secret service torture of terrorism suspects
Torture of terrorism suspects will be specifically prohibited under Australian law after the opposition and other critics complained that officers should not be protected from legal liability
The Australian government has bent to public pressure by proposing a specific prohibition on secret service officers torturing suspected terrorists.
The government had planned to indemnify Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officers against all criminal offences committed in the course of their undercover work except for homicide, causing serious injury, sexual assault and serious damage to property.
Attorney General George Brandis announced on Monday that torture would be added to that list, after the opposition and other critics complained that ASIO officers should not be protected from legal liability for torturing suspects.
Because torture was against Australian law, no operation involving torture could ever be authorised, Brandis said.
“I’ve decided to add an explicit prohibition in relation to torture in so far as concerns special intelligence operations,” Brandis told reporters.
