13 January 2010

"Sandboarding" torture


I found this video, originally broadcast by ABC news, to be extremely difficult to watch. It's a condensation of a longer 45-minute video taped in 2004, and thankfully omits the anogenital torture, but does show the sandboarding, the beating, and the running-over-with-an-SUV.  The perpetrator is a member of the royal family of the UAE, an American ally.   The victim, Mohammed Shah Poor, was an Afghan grain dealer accused of short-changing a $5,000 grain deal. 

The UAE says this case was investigated and "settled" and that release of this tape was part of the settlement.  There is no doubt about the identity of the torturer, who himself requested that the process be videotaped, and the participation of uniformed police officers.   Discussion thread.

2 comments:

  1. "He says the U.S government must get involved". The U.S isn't exactly a moral compass when it comes to torture..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes but I doubt it is enforced by someone with such an high status as that sheikh...
    Clearly this short video is meant to deliver an unspoken message, such as: "they may be powerful and rich beyond measure, but underneath they are just greedy, miserable camel herders."
    Shameful, really. Who could be so cynical and biased?

    ReplyDelete

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