William Fisher

Human rights organizations and legal scholars are applauding the efforts of Spanish lawyers in seeking the indictment of six former officials of the administration of President George W. Bush in connection with the torture of detainees at the U.S. military’s Guantánamo Bay prison. Spanish prosecutors may decide this week whether to proceed with an investigation. … Continue reading “Spain May Try American Officials in Terror War Abuses”

Human rights advocates are expressing alarm about recent disclosures that medical professionals assisted the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in harsh interrogations at secret prisons overseas and at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. It has also been brought to light that judges have ignored the mental health problems of government witnesses in terror-related trials. A secret … Continue reading “Medics and Interrogations Don’t Mix”

One of the nation’s leading legal rights groups is calling on the U.S. Congress to make major changes in the USA PATRIOT Act to reverse parts of the hurriedly passed law that have been found unconstitutional or have been abused to collect information on innocent people. On Dec. 31, 2009, three provisions of the PATRIOT … Continue reading “ACLU: Let Spy Laws Fade Into the Sunset”

Human rights lawyers are proving to be a major headache for the new administration of President Barack Obama, stepping up court challenges on issues of prisoner abuse to test the reality of the president’s pledge to create a "an unprecedented level of openness" in government. Five years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed … Continue reading “Obama Faces Spate of ‘Terror War’ Lawsuits”

A leaked Red Cross report, detailing chilling accounts of prisoner torture in "black sites" run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, has underlined the need for an independent commission of inquiry into possible war crimes committed by senior officials during the presidency of George W. Bush, according to a statement by 25 prominent clergymen and … Continue reading “Red Cross Report Bolsters Case for Bush Inquiry”

Human rights activists and constitutional law experts were virtually unanimous in their condemnation of the positions taken on prisoner detention and treatment in federal court last week by President Barack Obama’s Department of Justice, which one group described as "a case of old wine in new bottles." While the Justice Department announced it would no … Continue reading “Obama Follows Bush on Detainees”

In a preview of the heated divisions likely be triggered by the formation of a "truth commission" to investigate detainee interrogation, warrantless wiretapping and other alleged violations during the administration of President George W. Bush, witnesses before a Senate committee Wednesday characterized such a body as either a "profoundly bad idea" or "critically important to … Continue reading “Senate Committee Weighs ‘Truth Commission’”

Lawyers for imprisoned "enemy combatant" Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri are vowing to press the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case even though al-Marri was suddenly transferred to the civilian justice system after more than five years in solitary confinement in a military brig. According to American Civil Liberties Union attorney Jonathan Hafetz, the case … Continue reading “Al-Marri Lawyers Seek Supreme Court Review”

In two court cases that could test the limits of the Barack Obama administration’s executive authority as well as its commitment to transparency, human rights lawyers are challenging the government’s right to use information obtained through warrantless wiretapping as evidence and to shut down charitable organizations without allowing them to defend themselves. In one case, … Continue reading “Lawsuits Challenge Charity Blacklisting”