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The Berliner Zeitung has had an interesting interview with Nils Melzer, who was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, and who was fired for his asse

The Berliner Zeitung has had an interesting interview with Nils Melzer, who was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, and who was fired for his assessment of the confinement of Assange as torture. He is also stating that the whole case is about setting a deterring example. https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/wochenende/interview-un-sonderberichterstatter-nils-melzer-fall-julian-assange-bericht-psychische-folter-li.159865 https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/wochenende/interview-un-sond... also see this coverage: https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/julian-assange-wer-die-maechtigen-kritisiert-verrottet-im-knast-li.168969 https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/julian-... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Melzer#Assessment_on_the_confinement_of_Julian_Assange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Melzer#Assessment_on_the_... Interesting that the BZ used to be a little bit more liberal than the mainstream press, even back when it was published in East Germany under Socialism ;-)

djhn 5y ago
Do you have a source for him being fired? Wikipedia doesn't mention Melzer being fired and Google searches for him being fired don't produce any hits.
- MichaelMoser123 5y ago
  quote from the linked interview (my translation followed by the original) Q: Your job was to reveal cases of torture and mistreatment by states. Do governments exert a lot of pressure? A: I have been always in respect of all of the regulations, and I have to admit that I could always proceed freely with my work. However one is risking his carreer, if one is stepping to much on the feet of the permanent members of the UN security council. I was told informally, that I would have to pay a political price, but I am accepting this (reality). Original: Ihre Aufgabe ist das Aufdecken von Folterungen und Misshandlungen durch Staaten. Gibt es da nicht viel Druck von den Regierungen? Ich habe immer darauf geachtet, dass ich nach den Vorschriften handle. Und ich kann sagen, dass ich meine Arbeit wirklich frei machen konnte. Allerdings riskiert man schon seine Karriere, wenn man den permanenten Mitgliedern des UN-Sicherheitsrats allzu sehr auf die Füße steigt. Man hat mir informell mitgeteilt, dass ich einen politischen Preis zu bezahlen haben werde. Aber das nehme ich in Kauf.
  - the_biot 5y ago
    That doesn't say he got fired. But why let facts get in the way of a good story.
    - MichaelMoser123 5y ago
      There are several ways to get fired, in my book this qualifies as one of them. In addition to that he had his funding slashed by various governments, in addition to having received these 'hints',

djhn 5y ago

Do you have a source for him being fired? Wikipedia doesn't mention Melzer being fired and Google searches for him being fired don't produce any hits.

MichaelMoser123 5y ago
quote from the linked interview (my translation followed by the original) Q: Your job was to reveal cases of torture and mistreatment by states. Do governments exert a lot of pressure? A: I have been always in respect of all of the regulations, and I have to admit that I could always proceed freely with my work. However one is risking his carreer, if one is stepping to much on the feet of the permanent members of the UN security council. I was told informally, that I would have to pay a political price, but I am accepting this (reality). Original: Ihre Aufgabe ist das Aufdecken von Folterungen und Misshandlungen durch Staaten. Gibt es da nicht viel Druck von den Regierungen? Ich habe immer darauf geachtet, dass ich nach den Vorschriften handle. Und ich kann sagen, dass ich meine Arbeit wirklich frei machen konnte. Allerdings riskiert man schon seine Karriere, wenn man den permanenten Mitgliedern des UN-Sicherheitsrats allzu sehr auf die Füße steigt. Man hat mir informell mitgeteilt, dass ich einen politischen Preis zu bezahlen haben werde. Aber das nehme ich in Kauf.
- the_biot 5y ago
  That doesn't say he got fired. But why let facts get in the way of a good story.
  - MichaelMoser123 5y ago
    There are several ways to get fired, in my book this qualifies as one of them. In addition to that he had his funding slashed by various governments, in addition to having received these 'hints',