Tag: rendition

Render to Caesar, Extraordinarily

Some of us pause on Good Friday to mark the torture and death of a high-value detainee rendered, extraordinarily, to Roman occupiers. Although the charges against Jesus of Nazareth were trumped up, the Romans decided to err on the safe side by going to the "dark side." They applied enhanced torture techniques with the ultimate … Continue reading “Render to Caesar, Extraordinarily”

Rendition Suit Heads for US High Court

In a move legal experts are calling unusual, the one-vote court majority that tossed out the lawsuit brought by five men who claim they were tortured under the "extraordinary rendition" program of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency departed from customary practice in suggesting several other ways the victims might obtain justice. This departure from the … Continue reading “Rendition Suit Heads for US High Court”

Britain to Probe Collaboration with CIA Renditions

Breaking from President Barack Obama’s insistence on "moving forward, not backward" in investigating U.S. detainee torture, the British government appears poised to investigate its own complicity with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in "rendering" British citizens and residents and subjecting them to "enhanced interrogation" techniques. The British newspaper, The Guardian, is reporting that Prime … Continue reading “Britain to Probe Collaboration with CIA Renditions”

Rendition Redux?

On the heels of a federal appeals court ruling that only the U.S. Congress and the executive branch of government — not the courts — can interfere with government-sponsored "extraordinary rendition," a U.S. citizen from New Jersey is asking another court to tell the government it wasn’t okay to secretly imprison and abuse him in … Continue reading “Rendition Redux?”

Rights Groups Appeal For UN Investigation of Rendition

Charging that the U.S. government was complicit in the forced disappearance of an influential Muslim scholar four years ago, human rights groups in the U.S., the U.K., and Switzerland have asked the U.N. to investigate. In a letter to the U.N., the organizations say Mustafa Setmariam Nassar, a Spanish citizen, was arrested by Pakistani officials … Continue reading “Rights Groups Appeal For UN Investigation of Rendition”

UN Asked to Probe CIA Rendition

Human rights groups are asking United Nations officials to investigate the case of an Italian citizen and victim of the "extraordinary rendition" program of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who is currently being held in a Moroccan prison based on a confession coerced from him through torture. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Geneva-based … Continue reading “UN Asked to Probe CIA Rendition”

Out of Guantánamo and Into Court

In a move that seems to open up a route out of Guantánamo for prisoners accused of having an active involvement with international terrorism that does not involve reviving the much-criticized system of trials by military commission, the Justice Department announced today that Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian, one of 14 "high-value detainees" transferred to … Continue reading “Out of Guantánamo and Into Court”

How Many Secret Prisons Does Israel Have?

The United Nations’ watchdog on torture has criticized Israel for refusing to allow inspections at a secret prison, dubbed by critics as "Israel’s Guantanamo Bay," and demanded to know if more such clandestine detention camps are operating. In a report published on Friday, the Committee Against Torture requested that Israel identify the location of the … Continue reading “How Many Secret Prisons Does Israel Have?”

Britain Tries to Block CIA Rendition Case

British High Court judges are expected to rule this week on whether a document by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency can be publicly disclosed, thus opening the courthouse door to a lawsuit charging that the British government was complicit in facilitating the rendition of a British resident by the CIA, which tortured and secretly imprisoned … Continue reading “Britain Tries to Block CIA Rendition Case”

Court Reins in ‘State Secrets’ Privilege

In what may become a landmark decision, a federal appeals court ruled Monday that the "state secrets privilege" – routinely used by the government to block lawsuits against its officials – can only be used to contest specific evidence, but not to dismiss an entire suit. The ruling, which was hailed by human rights advocates, … Continue reading “Court Reins in ‘State Secrets’ Privilege”