Detainment Ethics, Why Europe and the US Disagree on Torture as an Interrogation Method

Abstract

Protecting the human rights of prisoners has become an issue of paramount interest over the last several years, and rightfully so. In the wake of political and cultural upheaval throughout the Balkan States, and with the current trend towards fighting terrorism, prisoners, and the information they possess, have become increasingly important. Just as important as obtaining this crucial information, however, is ensuring that means of interrogation do not evolve into greater injustices than the crimes themselves. Historically, international bodies have been established and reformed following periods of severe human rights atrocities. Genocide and ethnic cleansing, for example, have served as such incidents severe enough to raise international action. Through their broad definitions and policies, these international mechanisms set forth to protect human rights on a global level, but only thought regional cooperation can this tremendous goal ever be achieved. It will be the purpose of this research to examine, in detail, international cooperation from two of the world's most major regional players, Europe and the United States. Because these two regional powers share so many similarities, including, among many others, common cultural roots, comparable economic function, and similar legal systems, one would...