Torture

Latest News and Press Releases

June 30, 2016

Generals and Admirals Urge Party Platform Committees to Reject Torture

Washington, D.C.—Sixty-two of the nation’s most respected retired generals and admirals urged the Republican and Democratic Platform Committees to unequivocally reject the use of...

June 22, 2016

New CIA Torture Documents Show Need for Transparency and Accountability

Last week, in response to an ACLU lawsuit, the CIA released a batch of documents “Related to the Former Detention and Interrogation Program,” including the infamous torture program the agency...

May 24, 2016

Saudi Arabia’s Record of Torturing Those Who Dare to Critique It

The U.N. committee charged with overseeing the implementation of the Convention Against Torture has released its report on Saudi Arabia. Unsurprisingly, it is “extremely concerned” by reports that...

May 04, 2016

New Book Shows Torture Games Have No Winners

By Adelma Jakupovic Does interrogational torture work? How frequently must torture be used to produce information to be considered effective? Will innocent detainees be tortured or only...

May 02, 2016

Washington Week on Human Rights: May 2, 2016

Top News Guantanamo As the administration works toward its goal of closing the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, it has scheduled two more Periodic Review Board...

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...

Resources

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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...