Talk:Robert Hanssen

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External links modified[edit]

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Adjusting values for inflation[edit]

Concerning "On October 1, 1985, Hanssen sent an anonymous letter to the KGB offering his services and asking for $100,000 in cash", I feel that it may be necessary to designate the current value (Approx. $260,000), which is much higher and leads to a better understanding of Robert Hanssen. However, I'm new, and unsure whether to make this change (along with the $55,000 later on), and even if I wanted to, I can't make the inflation template work for me. Timofeib (talk) 21:41, 23 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Removed the category American Torture Victims[edit]

I've removed this category from the article, as it's clearly inapplicable. The statement that "solitary confinement constitutes torture under international law" is simply incorrect and in any event constitutes synthesis not supported by reliable sourcing. There are in fact a great number of international treaties and laws that outline the conditions under which a prisoner may or may not be held in solitary confinement. This is a fairly comprehensive summary -- note the clear conclusions that the determinants of whether solitary confinement constitutes torture include the purpose of the confinement, and it's duration. There's no need to push a POV on this article. SWATJester Shoot Blues, Tell VileRat! 01:06, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

A quick Google search turned up an RS, an article by two well-respected human rights scholars about solitary as torture, noting that Hanssen was held in solitary. He was held in indefinite solitary confinement for 23 hours per day. The UN has declared that type of restriction to be prohibited under the Mandela Rules: In no circumstances may restrictions or disciplinary sanctions amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The following practices, in particular, shall be prohibited . . . Indefinite solitary confinement. Rule 43(1)(a) (emphasis added). Moreover, the sources you cite confirm that the use of solitary confinement is arbitrary or excessive . . . in the case of prolonged or indefinite confinement. Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim Rep. of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ¶ 89, U.N. Doc. A/66/268 (Aug. 5, 2011) (by Juan Mendez). That same report further notes that the Special Rapporteur finds that solitary confinement exceeding 15 days is prolonged". ¶ 61 voorts (talk/contributions) 02:06, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Moreover, the article I cited notes that Mendez himself submitted a report on solitary in opposing extradition to the U.S., where the government had indicated that it would hold the defendant at ADX Florence. voorts (talk/contributions) 02:08, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
The Nation editorial does not specifically say Hanssen was tortured though, it merely mentions him as an occupant of the prison. If there was an RS that said "Robert Hanssen was tortured", then surely we could include that as a claim (e.g., "...X source claims Robert Hansen was tortured". Short of that, it seems like we're taking a general statement -- that solitary confinement has varying conditions under which it may or may not be torture -- and applying it to a specific case (whether Robert Hanssen was tortured) without there being a source for that latter component.SWATJester Shoot Blues, Tell VileRat! 02:28, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I'll also note that a google search for "Robert Hanssen was tortured" in quotes, to exclude false positives referring to the KGB agents who were tortured as a result of his actions, yields zero results. SWATJester Shoot Blues, Tell VileRat! 02:31, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Courtesy ping to Necropolis Hill. voorts (talk/contributions) 02:10, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, I neglected to do so, and apologize. SWATJester Shoot Blues, Tell VileRat! 02:29, 6 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Specific examples:
“Importantly, short-term solitary confinement can amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as well (A/66/268, para. 88). However, unlike prolonged solitary confinement, short-term solitary confinement can be a legitimate practice in other circumstances provided that adequate safeguards are in place, including control and monitoring mechanisms (see A/66/268, paras. 94-101 noting the internal and external safeguards that should be in place under all circumstances).” Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Reply to Questions Raised by Member States during the Interactive Dialogue at the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly, at 7 (Oct. 18, 2011) (by Juan Mendez).
“Solitary confinement is not, in and of itself, a form of torture. However, in view of its strictness, its duration and the object pursued, it could cause great physical or mental suffering.” Prosecutor v. Milorad Krnojelac, Case No. IT‐97‐25‐T, Judgment, ¶ 183 (Int’l Crim. Trib. for the Former Yugoslavia Mar. 15, 2002).

Rather, it is the duration, safeguards, and purpose, that are determining factors.

“Solitary confinement should be imposed, if at all, in very exceptional circumstances, as a last resort, for as short a time as possible and with established safeguards in place after obtaining the authorization of the competent authority subject to independent review.” Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,¶ 60, U.N. Doc. A/68/295 (Aug. 9, 2013) (by Juan Mendez).
 “The use of solitary confinement can be accepted only in exceptional circumstances where its duration must be as short as possible and for a definite term that is properly announced and communicated.” Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim Rep. of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ¶ 75, U.N. Doc. A/66/268 (Aug. 5, 2011) (by Juan Mendez).
 “The Special Rapporteur reiterates that solitary confinement should be used only in very exceptional circumstances, as a last resort, for as short a time as possible. He emphasizes that when solitary confinement is used in exceptional circumstances, minimum procedural safeguards must be followed. These safeguards reduce the chances that the use of solitary confinement will be arbitrary or excessive, as in the case of prolonged or indefinite confinement. They are all the more important in circumstances of detention where due process protections are often limited, as in administrative immigration detention. Minimum procedural safeguards should be interpreted in a manner that provides the greatest possible protection of the rights of detained individuals.” Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim Rep. of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ¶ 89, U.N. Doc. A/66/268 (Aug. 5, 2011) (by Juan Mendez).
o In the same report, the SR lists guiding principles, internal safeguards, and external safeguards that states should implement re: solitary confinement to remain compliant with international standards (¶¶90-101)
 “…the use of solitary confinement should be kept to a minimum, used in very exceptional cases, for as short a time as possible, and only as a last resort.” Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, ¶83, U.N. Doc. A/63/175 (July 28, 2008) (by Manfred Nowak).
 “The State party should ensure that solitary confinement, both pretrial and following conviction, is used only in the most exceptional circumstances and for strictly limited periods.” Human Rights Comm. [CCPR], Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee on Norway, ¶ 11, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/NOR/CO/6 (Nov. 18, 2011).
“The [United States] should: (a) Limit the use of solitary confinement as a measure of last resort, for as short a time as possible, under strict supervision and with the possibility of judicial review; …(c) Ban solitary confinement regimes in prisons, such as those in supermaximum security detention facilities; (d) Compile and regularly publish comprehensive disaggregated data on the use of solitary confinement, including related suicide attempts and self-harm.” Comm. against Torture [CAT], Concluding observations on the combined third to fifth periodic reports of the United States of America, ¶20, U.N. Doc. CAT/C/USA/CO/3-5 (Dec. 19, 2014).
“The [United States] should monitor conditions of detention in prisons, including private detention facilities, with a view to ensuring that persons deprived of their liberty be treated in accordance with the requirements of articles 7 and 10 of the Covenant and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. It should impose strict limits on the use of solitary confinement, both pretrial and following conviction, in the federal system, as well as nationwide….” Human Rights Comm., Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of the United States of America, ¶ 20, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/USA/CO/4 (Apr. 23, 2014).
“There is no international standard for the permitted maximum overall duration of solitary confinement. In A.B. v. Russia, the European Court of Human Rights held that detaining an individual in solitary confinement for three years constituted a violation of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. By contrast, in the United States of America, it is reported that two prisoners have been held in solitary confinement in a Louisiana prison for 13 years after failed attempts at judicial appeal of the conditions of their confinement. As explained in paragraph 26 above, the Special Rapporteur finds that solitary confinement exceeding 15 days is prolonged.” Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Interim Rep. of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ¶ 61, U.N. Doc. A/66/268 (Aug. 5, 2011) (by Juan Mendez).

Who is who's sister?[edit]

"In 1990, Hanssen's brother-in-law, Mark Wauck, who was also an FBI employee, recommended to the FBI that Hanssen be investigated for espionage because his sister, Hanssen's wife, told him that her sister, Jeanne Beglis, had found a pile of cash on a dresser in the Hanssens' house." => I'm confused here. Who is the sister of whom? If this Jeanne Beglis person is the sister of Hanssen's wife, wouldn't that also make her the sister of this Mark Wauck guy and why doesn't it then say *his* sister? What's going on? Surely there's a less convoluted way of writing all this. BigPig (talk) 20:32, 23 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The references for that paragraph indicate that Mark Wauck, Jeanne Beglis, and Bonnie Hanssen are siblings. Would "their sister" be better? -- Pemilligan (talk) 22:45, 23 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I tripped on this while reading. "Mark Wauck's sister" would be clearer. Maybe. It was confusing and I had to read it three times, and still walked away wondering. In fact, as I think off it, I'm still not sure. Wauck the FBI Agent's wife said her sister saw a pile of suspicious money. Also not sure how relevant a point it is. Maybe "clues that were missed", or something. It's an interesting story, but the interesting part is deeply embedded in the details, which then creates readability issues.2603:8081:3A00:30DF:352D:B6F0:61E5:FD6F (talk) 10:29, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]