Majority polled reject use of torture

WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) -- A new poll released Tuesday shows a majority of people reject the use of torture, while a significant number favor an exemption if it is a terrorist suspect.

The poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org surveyed people from 19 nations, including the United States, Great Britain, China and Russia, and found that an average of 57 percent favor rules against torture. The poll also found 35 percent would allow for an exception to use torture if innocent lives are at risk, WorldPublicOpinion.org reported.

The poll, released in advance of International Victims of Torture Day on Thursday, found that on average, only one in five people say the government should be able to use torture.

Spain, Great Britain and France all had the highest support for rules against using torture, averaging 82 percent in favor of that position. The United States, which has been criticized for the use of techniques like water boarding on prisoners at the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention camp, averaged 53 percent in favor of not using torture.

India, Nigeria and Turkey were countries with a majority favoring an exemption in cases of terrorism.

"The idea that torture by governments is basically wrong is widely shared in all corners of the world," Steven Kull, WorldPublicOpinion.org director, said in a statement. "Even the scenario one hears of terrorists holding information that could save innocent lives is rejected as a justification for torture in most countries."

WorldPublicOpinion.org is a collaborative project at the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. The poll surveyed 19,063 respondents in 19 nations. The margins of error range from plus or minus 2 percent to 4 percent.