Torture

Latest News and Press Releases

Victims Sue Architects of the CIA's Torture Program

KCRW To The Point | May 02, 2016

April 12, 2016

Brennan Rules Out Torture for CIA, Presidential Candidates Urged to Follow Suit

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today praised CIA Director John Brennan for comments he made over the weekend asserting that the CIA would refuse to carry out orders to torture individuals, and...

April 11, 2016

Washington Week on Human Rights: April 11, 2016

Top News Bahrain Ahead of President Obama’s upcoming participation in the Gulf Cooperation Council summit scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia later this month, ...

March 28, 2016

Washington Week on Human Rights: March 28, 2016

Top News Global Refugee Crisis In a move that would severely hinder the ability of the United States to provide protection for those fleeing violence in Syria, several members of Congress...

March 25, 2016

Hayden’s Torture Claims Don’t Measure Up to the Truth

In February former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden published a memoir, Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror, which he uses in part to defend the CIA’s use of...

March 23, 2016

Human Rights First Praises Release of Files from Argentina’s Dirty War

Washington, D.C. - Human Rights First today praised the Obama Administration for its decision to declassify and publicly release records from Argentina’s “Dirty War.” The announcement came...

March 21, 2016

Washington Week on Human Rights: March 21, 2016

Top News Torture Last week National Security Advisor Susan Rice announced that the president will begin the declassification of records from Argentina’s “Dirty War” as he travels to...

Resources

Letter-resource-image-628x365.jpg

Letter | 2018

Coalition Letter on Gina Haspel Nomination

Dear Senator,

We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of Gina Haspel for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and to ask that you not advance her nomination until all of the records on her past involvement in the CIA torture program are

Factsheet | May 24, 2018

Gina Haspel, CIA Director

On May 17, 2018, the Senate voted to confirm Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. She was confirmed by a vote of 54-45—the lowest number of affirmative votes for any CIA director in history. Haspel...

Letter | May 08, 2018

Letter to Senators in Opposition to Nomination of Gina Haspel to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Download Dear Senator: Even in times of crisis, the United States prides itself on remaining committed to American values and universal ideals. This means that our leaders and government...

Letter | April 23, 2018

109 Retired Military Leaders Raise Concerns About CIA Nominee Gina Haspel

Dear Senator: As retired general and flag officers of the United States military, we write to express our profound concern about the nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central...

Letter | March 16, 2018

Coalition Letter on Gina Haspel Nomination

Dear Senator, We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of Gina Haspel for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and to ask that you not advance her...