<html>
<body>
<font size=4><b>One-third support 'some torture' <br>
</font><font size=3>Nearly a third of people worldwide back the use of
torture in prisons in some circumstances, a BBC survey suggests.
<br><br>
</b>Although 59% were opposed to torture, 29% thought it acceptable to
use some degree of torture to combat terrorism. <br><br>
While most polled in the US are against torture, opposition there is less
robust than in Europe and elsewhere. <br><br>
More than 27,000 people in 25 countries were asked if torture would be
acceptable if it could provide information to save innocent lives.
<br><br>
<a name="high"></a>Some 36% of those questioned in the US agreed that
this use of torture was acceptable, while 58% were unwilling to
compromise on human rights. <br>
<br><br>
The percentage favouring torture in certain cases makes it one of the
highest of all the countries polled. <br><br>
The majority of those questioned in the BBC World Service poll - 19 of
the 25 countries surveyed - agree that clear rules against torture in
prisons should be maintained because it is immoral and its use would
weaken human rights standards. <br><br>
"The dominant view around the world is that terrorism does not
warrant bending the rules against torture," said Steven Kull,
director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), whose
organisation helped conduct the survey. <br><br>
<b>Saving lives? <br><br>
</b>All of the countries surveyed have signed up to the Geneva
Conventions which prohibit the use of torture and cruel and degrading
behaviour. <br><br>
But countries that face political violence are more likely to accept the
idea that some degree of torture is permissible because of the extreme
threat posed by terrorists. <br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF">Israel has the largest percentage of
those polled endorsing the use of a degree of torture on prisoners, with
43% saying they agreed that some degree of torture should be allowed.
<br><br>
</font><font size=3>However, a larger percentage - 48% - think it should
remain prohibited. <br><br>
<dl>
<dd>The question
<dd><i>Most countries have agreed to rules prohibiting torturing
prisoners. Which position is closer to yours? </i>
<dd>Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be
allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that
saves innocent lives
<dd>Clear rules against torture should be maintained because any use of
torture is immoral and will weaken international human rights <br><br>
</dl>Other countries that polled higher levels of acceptance of the use
of torture include Iraq (42%), the Philippines (40%), Indonesia (40%),
Russia (37%) and China (37%). <br><br>
The Israeli figure conceals a stark difference in attitude within the
country, split along religious lines. <br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF">A majority of Jewish respondents in
Israel, 53%, favour allowing governments to use some degree of torture to
obtain information from those in custody, while 39% want clear rules
against it. <br><br>
But Muslims in Israel, who represent 16% of the total number polled, are
overwhelmingly against any use of torture. <br><br>
</font><font size=3>Meanwhile opposition to the practise is highest in
Italy, where 81% of those questioned think torture is never justified.
<br><br>
Australia, France, Canada, the UK and Germany also registered high levels
of opposition to any use of torture. <br><br>
<a name="table"></a>The survey was carried out for the BBC World Service
by polling firm Globescan and the Program on International Policy
Attitudes (PIPA). <br>
<br>
<b>Views on torturing prisoners <br>
Country Against all torture * Some degree permissible * Neither/Don't
Know <br>
</b>Australia 75% 22% 3% <br>
Brazil 61% 32% 8% <br>
Canada 74% 22% 4% <br>
Chile 62% 22% 16% <br>
China 49% 37% 13% <br>
Egypt 65% 25% 9% <br>
France 75% 19% 6% <br>
Germany 71% 21% 7% <br>
Gt Britain 72% 24% 4% <br>
India 23% 32% 45% <br>
Indonesia 51% 40% 8% <br>
Iraq 55% 42% 1% <br>
Israel 48% 43% 9% <br>
Italy 81% 14% 6% <br>
Kenya 53% 38% 9% <br>
Mexico 50% 24% 27% <br>
Nigeria 49% 39% 12% <br>
Philippines 56% 40% 5% <br>
Poland 62% 27% 12% <br>
Russia 43% 37% 19% <br>
S Korea 66% 31% 3% <br>
Spain 65% 16% 19% <br>
Turkey 62% 24% 14% <br>
Ukraine 54% 29% 18% <br>
US 58% 36% 7% <br>
Average 59% 29% 12% <br>
*27,000 respondents in 25 countries were asked which position was closer
to their own views:
<ul>
<li>Clear rules against torture should be maintained because any use of
torture is immoral and will weaken international human rights standards
against torture.
<li>Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be
allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that
saves innocent lives.
</ul><b>Source: BBC/Globescan/PIPA <br><br>
<br>
</b>Story from BBC NEWS:<br>
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/6063386.stm" eudora="autourl">
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/6063386.stm<br><br>
</a>Published: 2006/10/19 02:07:46 GMT<br><br>
© BBC MMVI<br><br>
<br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>