Denounce Torture

Despite accusations that former Guantanamo detainees were sent home to Russia only to experience torture and other abuses, the Bush Administration has no plans to stop accepting "diplomatic assurances" that countries with poor human rights records will not torture freed Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Under the Convention Against Torture, the United States is obligated to not transfer persons to countries where they are likely to face torture. Nevertheless a 43-page report, "The 'Stamp of Guantanamo:' The Story of Seven Men Betrayed by Russia's Diplomatic Assurances to the United States," by the group Human Rights Watch shows that seven former Guantanamo Bay detainees of Russian descent have faces torture and abuse since being returned to the Russion Federation in 2004.

Source: The Raw Story

Act Now and Sign the America I Believe Pledge today and let the Bush Administration know that it's time to change the course on human rights!

Speak out today! How do you feel about "Diplomatic Assurances?"

This past Tuesday, the first proceeding under the new military commissions took place with the arraignment of Australian national David Hicks. Jumana Musa, Amnesty International's Advocacy Director for Domestic Human Rights and International Justice

reports on the details on the trial. Read her full report here.

Also check out our video interview with Colonel Dwight Sullivan and Major Thomas Fleener, both Chief Military Defense Counsels at the Office of Military Commissions.

Take Action to Restore Habeas Corpus and to Protect People from Abuse and Arbitrary Dentention here!

Acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy investigates the psychological and political context surrounding the torture that occurred at Abu Ghraib through interviews with both Iraqi victims and the guards directly involved in the torture at the prison. Through these interviews, the film traces the events and the political and legal precedents that led to the scandal, beginning with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.  "How could ordinary American soldiers come to engage in such monstrous acts?" Kennedy asks. "What policies were put into place that allowed this behavior to flourish while protections granted to prisoners under the Geneva Conventions were ignored?"

This powerful documentary premiered on HBO on February 22, 2007 and appeared at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival as an official selection in the American Documentary Competition.

Access the the documentary's full schedule on HBO as well as a further synopsis, interview with filmmaker Rory Kennedy, resources on Abu Ghraib, and discussion boards on HBO's website.

Be sure to catch the next viewing of "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" and let us know what you think! 

In a March 8th, 2007 report from the LA Times, Amnesty International criticized a Pentagon decision to hold secret hearings for 14 suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay. 

Along with other Human rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International insisted that the hearings were being closed to the media because "the Bush administration feared the detainees would make allegations that they were subjected to harsh forms of interrogations, such as water-boarding, a form of simulated drowning, or other abuse."

Jumana Musa, an advocacy director for Amnesty International, was quoted:

"Let's say Khalid Shaikh Mohammed decides to participate, and they ask him a question and he says, 'You got that information when you were water-boarding me.' My guess is they don't want the press there, and they don't want that showing up in any public transcript."  

Read the full article here. 

Host a DVD House Party or Special Screening of the docudrama "The Road to Guantanamo."

The Road to Guantanamo" is an award winning film by British director Michael Winterbottom and tells the terrifying story of three British citizens who were held for more than two years without charges at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Join Amnesty International's "America I Believe In" Campaign to shed light and speak out against the US government's policies and practices in the "war on terror." By hosting a house party to educate and mobilize activists to take action, you can help close Guantánamo and restore US leadership on human rights.

Learn more on “The Road to Guantanamo” Web site from Roadside Attractions. »

View a clip of the film:

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Dr. Philiip Butler, 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and former light-attack carrier pilot, spent eight years (1965-1973) as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Today, Butler is a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace urging his fellow Americans to stand up against the institutionalization of torture by the United States.

In a Military.com opinion editorial, Butler draws upon his own experiences as a prisoner of war to prove that "confessions" obtained through coercion or torture are not only, unlawful, but flawed. Likewise, he sharply critiques President Bush and his Administration asking, "Will we allow him to continue ignoring our Constitution, treaties and other statutes prohibiting such cruel and unusual punishments?"

In the end, Butler asserts:

"As a patriot who fought and sacrificed for our country, I ask all Americans to stand up for what is civil, humane and right. Sadly, at this late date we must be more aware of torture and the misguided policies of this administration. We cannot allow our government to institutionalize torture. Let's keep the promise for ourselves and all humanity, the promise that is our United States of America."

Read Butler's full article here.

Do you agree with Butler? Does the America YOU believe in institionalize torture?

Stand up for "Our United States of America" and sign the "America I Believe In" Pledge here»