Amnesty International says criminals 'must be brought to justice' post CIA torture report release

Amnesty International and other rights advocates have said that prosecutors must follow the CIA torture programme and that those responsible for crimes such as torture "must be brought to justice".

Amnesty International USA's executive director Steven W Hawkins said that there are no exceptions that can be made to justify any kind of torture under the UN Convention Against Torture. He added that all those who were responsible for carrying out or authorizing torture must be completely investigated. Hawkins said that the reports had made it "crystal clear" that the American government had used "torture", reported the Guardian.

Former vice-president of the US Dick Cheney said that the attempts to show the CIA's programme as a rogue mission was a "bunch of hooey" and defended it as completely justified. The report compiled by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee said that the agency has misled the people of America about what it had been doing.

CIA's director John Brennan said that the intelligence that was gained from the operation was important for the understanding of al Qaeda.