Dive Brief:
- On Friday, the American Psychological Association (APA) passed a resolution to ban APA members from participating in national security interrogations at locations declared illegal by international law.
- The resolution prohibits APA members from being involved in interrogations at Guantanamo Bay and so-called "black sites."
- The only vote against the resolution came from a former Army intelligence psychologist at Guantanamo Bay.
Dive Insight:
The vote took place at the APA's annual convention, the organization's first meeting since it was found to have helped government agencies develop an interrogation program following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Prior to the resolution, the APA had been widely criticized for aligning its policies to allow the use of its members in the interrogation programs.
APA members will still be allowed to conduct psycholigical assessments or treat soldiers at "black sites," but may not participate in consultations that are related to specific national security interrogations or consult on site conditions.