Denounce Torture

This came via Vox Verax:

German investigators have recommended that prosecutors issue arrest warrants against 13 U.S. intelligence operatives in connection with the kidnapping, beating and secret detention of a German citizen suspected of having links to terrorist networks.

The case involves the "extroardinary rendition" of Khaled El-Masri, which turned out to be a terrible instance of mistaken identity. El-Masri recounts an episode from his kidnapping:

Someone sliced the clothes off my body, and when I would not remove my underwear, I was beaten again until someone forcibly removed them from me. I was thrown on the floor, my hands were pulled behind me, and someone’s boot was placed on my back. Then I felt something firm being forced inside my anus.

You can read more about his case and other individuals believed to have been kidnapped and abused as part of the U.S. extraordinary rendition program in our "Partners in Crime" report.

If the goal is to bring people to justice, rather than tinkering with a system that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court and hastily passed by Congress, the United States should use the system that is in place -- the federal courts, as their procedures meet fair trial standards.

Amnesty International renews its call to scrap the new military commissions system and instead to try people accused of terrorism-related offenses in federal court. Rather than proceed with these commissions, the United States should use established systems of justice whose standards meet the requirements for fair trials.

Take action: sign the pledge to stand up for the America you believe in.

From the AP: 

According to a copy of the manual obtained by The Associated Press, a Guantánamo terror suspect's defense lawyer cannot reveal classified evidence in the person's defense until the government has a chance to review it.

Hurrah for Guantanamo protests. But let's not forget about what is STILL going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. There has been no serious accountability for Abu Ghraib and many killings in Iraq and Afghanistan.