CCR Seeks to Intervene in Spanish Court’s Investigations into Bush Administration’s Torture Program

[kpete]

Source: Center For Constitutional Rights

CCR Seeks to Intervene in Spanish Court’s Investigations into Bush Administration’s Torture Program

Contact: [e-mail]

Madrid, April 27, 2010 – Today, the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a motion with Spain’s national court (Audencia Nacional) seeking to intervene as a party (Acusación Popular) in the criminal investigation currently pending in Spain into the torture program conducted by the United States during the Bush Administration. Initiated in April of 2009 by Judge Baltasar Garzón, the investigation focuses on the torture and abuse of four former Guantánamo detainees, Hamed Abderrahman Ahmed, Ikassrien Lahcen, Jamiel Abdul Latif Al Banna and Omar Deghaye, each with strong ties to Spain. The investigation will examine what Judge Garzón described as “an approved systematic plan of torture and ill-treatment” and thus can encompass the torture that took place in Iraq, Afghanistan and U.S. run black sites around the world. Mr. Ahmed is a Spanish citizen and Mr. Ikassrien had been a Spanish resident for more than 13 years.

CCR has led the legal battle over Guantanamo and has represented plaintiffs who have been subjected to every facet of the United States’ torture program, from Guantánamo detainees to Abu Ghraib torture survivors, and victims of extraordinary rendition and CIA ghost detention. CCR has represented former detainees in U.S. federal courts in habeas corpus proceedings and civil actions, seeking habeas relief, injunctions or damages. It bases its motion to intervene on vast experience working on these issues on behalf of its clients

“For eight long years we have fought to redress the brutal, inhumane and illegal acts perpetrated against our clients but have been blocked at every turn by both the Bush and Obama administrations,” said CCR President Michael Ratner, who filed the first habeas corpus petition brought on behalf of a Guantanamo detainee in 2002. “We come to Spain in pursuit of nothing less than justice, which, sadly, is not available in the United States.”

CCR staff attorney and lead counsel in the action, Katherine Gallagher, added: “The purpose of the intervention is multi-fold: to pursue justice and accountability for egregious international law violations in a forum that is willing to exercise jurisdiction over the case, and to press the message that no one is above the law and that impunity cannot stand, even if the U.S. is unwilling to prosecute the crimes.”

Read more: http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/ccr-seeks-intervene-spanish-court%E2%80%99s-investigations-bush-administration%E2%80%99s-tor

[SpiralHawk]

1. "The truth will never touch me. Smirk." - xCommander AWOL (R)

"Occult obfuscation, along with pointless torture, is a republicon chickenhawk fetish. Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL (R)

[LakeSamish706]

2. I would love to see this get blown up in the US and get the Bush Admininstration where

they belong (behind bars). Won't hold my breath but can only hope.

And to add, this looks really bad on the Obama Administration for not stepping up to the plate re:

“The purpose of the intervention is multi-fold: to pursue justice and accountability for egregious international law violations in a forum that is willing to exercise jurisdiction over the case, and to press the message that no one is above the law and that impunity cannot stand, even if the U.S. is unwilling to prosecute the crimes.”

How can the US be a nation of laws when they let injustice like this stand?

[zipplewrath]

7. You missed this

“For eight long years we have fought to redress the brutal, inhumane and illegal acts perpetrated against our clients but have been blocked at every turn by both the Bush and Obama administrations,”

[Lochloosa]

3. When did CCR get back together? Damn, I need to keep up.

:evilgrin:

[hootinholler]

4. Doo doo doo lookin out my back door n/t

[Wednesdays]

5. You mean Christy Carlson Romano, from "Even Stevens"?

A good Dem, I'm sure. I heard she was an intern in Senator Dodd's office.

[bvar22]

6. I will send donations to this group before I will send donations...

..to the DNC, DCCC, or DSCC.

You can donate here:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/383/t/4084/content.jsp?content_KEY=3353

"Theres a Bad Moon on the rise!"

[sabrina 1]

8. Thanks, it's a good idea to donate to them and to the ACLU

and others who are actually doing the work Congress refuses to do. By strengthening these organizations they will have more power to act on behalf of the people.

If the Obama administration would deal with the war crimes this country engaged in, we wouldn't need outside interference. But the victims need justice, and the Bush AND Obama administrations have blocked all efforts to help them get it.

This IS an international issue as it affected so many citizens of other countries, not to mention the fact that the U.S. is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, making it incumbent on them to abide by International Law. While I understand the Bush administration's position since they were the initiators of the war crimes, I cannot understand the position of this administration.

By refusing to allow justice to prevail for those victims, the Obama administration aligns itself with a criminal administration you would think they would not want to be associated with. And as is clear in the OP, it has been noted by others.

These people are heroes. I remember the hopelessness of their heroic efforts back in 2002 when they tried and failed to get some justice for the victims of Cheny and Bush.