Rumsfeld Greeted With Torture Allegations in France

by Rob Walker | October 29, 2007 at 12:45 pm

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As he's no longer part of the white house, there would be a very tiny chance the french courts could hold him. But it's doubtful.

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (OneWorld) - Donald Rumsfeld, the former U.S. secretary of defense, is facing criminal charges in France for ordering the torture of prisoners in Iraq and at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Last week, some of the world's leading human rights law groups filed a complaint before a French court charging Rumsfeld with authorizing and ordering torture.

The complaint was registered at the office of the prosecutor of the Court of First Instance in Paris when Rumsfeld was in the city for a talk sponsored by Foreign Policy magazine.

"We will not rest until those U.S. officials involved in torture are brought to justice," said Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, a non-profit human rights law firm in the United States.

There's a Q&A with the lawyers involved in the criminal complaint.

The complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office as Rumsfeld
arrived in France for a visit. This is the fifth time Rumsfeld has been
charged with direct involvement in torture since 9/11.

The Center for Constitutional rights has some more information on the filing.

France is under the obligation to investigate and prosecute
Rumsfeld’s accountability for crimes of torture in Guantanamo and Iraq.
France has no choice but to open an investigation if an alleged
torturer is on its territory. I hope that the fight against impunity
will not be sacrificed in the name of politics. We call on France to
refuse to be a safe haven for criminals.” said FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen.

Though it's unconfirmed, some online news sites are reporting that Rumsfeld left France immediately after hearing about the complaint, and left for Germany, which has an open border with France.