waterboarding
Waterboarding is a coercive interrogation technique in which a person is restrained, typically on a board or stretcher, with a cloth placed over the face. Water is then dripped or poured onto the cloth to create a sensation of suffocation and drowning. The individual experiences an acute respiratory reflex, panic, and an urgent urge to breathe, often leading to vomiting or involuntary movements. Proponents describe it as a means to prevent greater harm, while critics describe it as torture and a risk to physical and mental health.
Under international law, waterboarding is widely regarded as torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The
Effectiveness is disputed; there is little evidence that information obtained under waterboarding is reliable, and the