It is a simple matter to lay all the blame for detainee abuse at the hands of Canada's political and military leadership. This overlooks the responsibility of individual soldiers to refuse unlawful orders.
Are individual Canadian soldiers criminally responsible for the transfer of detainees to Afghan forces for "interrogation", or does responsibility lie only with their political and military supervisors?
The Geneva Conventions, to which all Canadian soldiers are bound, require soldiers to refuse orders which are in contravention to the letter and spirit of international law. Knowingly transferring a detainee to a situation where they would likely face torture places the individual Canadian soldier in contravention of his or her obligations under international law. It seems that Canadians are allowing their troops to be absolved of their individual responsibilities because it is politically unpopular to include the lower ranks among those who are accused of participating in violations of international law in Afghanistan.