A coalition of 19 human rights, faith-based and justice organizations call on President Obama to establish a commission to investigate torture, rendition and detention policies sanctioned by the Bush administration after 9/11.
- Amnesty International USA
- The Brennan Center for Justice
- The Carter Center, Human Rights Program
- The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, New York University, School of Law
- Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas, UC Davis
- The Center for Victims of Torture
- The Constitution Project
- Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley
- Human Rights First
- Human Rights Watch
- International Center for Transitional Justice
- International Justice Network
- The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
- Jewish Council for Public Affairs
- National Institute of Military Justice
- National Religious Campaign Against Torture
- The Open Society Institute
- Physicians for Human Rights
- The Rutherford Institute
Statement:
We call on the President of the United States to establish an independent, non-partisan commission to examine and report publicly on torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees in the period since September 11, 2001. The commission, comparable in stature to the 9/11 Commission, should look into the facts and circumstances of such abuses, report on lessons learned, and recommend measures that would prevent any future abuses. We believe that the commission is necessary to reaffirm America 's commitment to the Constitution, international treaty obligations, and human rights. The report issued by the commission will strengthen U.S. national security and help to re-establish America's standing in the world.