Torture

Promises of Humane Treatment Insufficient to Override Federal Court Finding

(New York, June 1, 2007) – The United States government should not override a federal court ruling and deport an Egyptian man based on vague promises that he will not be tortured on return, Human Rights Watch said today. Not only does the US State Department’s own Country Report on Egypt describe torture in detention centers as “common and persistent,” but Egypt has breached assurances against such abuse in the past.    » read more »

30 May 2007 -- A private legal defense group is suing a U.S. aviation corporation, accusing it of helping the CIA secretly transport three terrorism suspects to overseas prisons, where they were allegedly tortured. Victoria Cavaliere reports from VOA's New York bureau.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit Wednesday in a federal court in California. The suit accuses Jeppesen Dataplan, a subsidiary of the giant Boeing Corporation, of knowingly providing the CIA with flight plans and travel logistics in order to shuttle terror suspects to foreign prisons for interrogation.    » read more »

15 May 2007 -- A U.S. court has begun hearing testimony from witnesses in the terrorism trial of Jose Padilla, an American convert to Islam. From Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the alleged al-Qaida recruit is accused of planning to help commit terrorist attacks around the world.

Prosecutors opened their case against Jose Padilla in a federal court house in Miami this week, five years after the alleged al-Qaida recruit was first detained by U.S. authorities.    » read more »

Joint Statement by Human Rights Watch and CLDH

Beirut, May 11, 2007 – Lebanon’s judiciary should investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment of nine detainees whose trial before a military court began on April 21, Human Rights Watch and CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights) said today.    » read more »