The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has condemned the leaking of a report about US practices at Guantanamo.
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The 40-page confidential report, drawn up for the US authorities in 2007, appeared on the website of the New York Review of Books, accompanied by a lengthy commentary.
The report accuses the US of practising torture at the prison, and condemns the presence of medical personnel during torture sessions, whose job was to say whether the torture should be stopped or might continue.
The ICRC on Wednesday described their presence as a “clear violation of medical ethics”.
An ICRC spokesman confirmed that the report was genuine, but refused to comment on its content.
He said that breaches of confidentiality could make the organisation’s work more difficult in future. The ICRC’s priority is to establish a relationship of trust with governments, to carry out its work.
Extracts of the same document, outlining torture practices, had already been published in the US press in March.
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The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross is a neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It also directs and coordinates international relief activities in situations of conflict.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.