Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union wrote to the US attorney general Eric Holder with calls for a criminal investigation into torture and other serious abuses revealed in a recent report on the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) interrogation and detention program.
Citing findings from the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA, the organisations, on Monday, called for a special prosecutor to investigate crimes including, torture, conspiracy, sexual assault and homicide, with a view to prosecute.
"The Senate torture report shows that CIA officials knew their methods were illegal and tried hard to cover them up. A full investigation is necessary to show that torture in the name of national security is still a criminal offense," said the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth.
The New York Times editorial board, on Sunday, called for a credible investigation into the torture allegations, that held US officials accountable.
"Any credible investigation should include former Vice President Dick Cheney; Mr. Cheney’s chief of staff, David Addington; the former C.I.A. director George Tenet; and John Yoo and Jay Bybee, the Office of Legal Counsel lawyers who drafted what became known as the torture memos. There are many more names that could be considered, including Jose Rodriguez Jr., the C.I.A. official who ordered the destruction of the videotapes; the psychologists who devised the torture regimen; and the C.I.A. employees who carried out that regimen." the New York Times said in its editorial.
Calls for prosecution of US officials after CIA torture report (10 Dec 2014)
Citing findings from the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA, the organisations, on Monday, called for a special prosecutor to investigate crimes including, torture, conspiracy, sexual assault and homicide, with a view to prosecute.
"The Senate torture report shows that CIA officials knew their methods were illegal and tried hard to cover them up. A full investigation is necessary to show that torture in the name of national security is still a criminal offense," said the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth.
The New York Times editorial board, on Sunday, called for a credible investigation into the torture allegations, that held US officials accountable.
"Any credible investigation should include former Vice President Dick Cheney; Mr. Cheney’s chief of staff, David Addington; the former C.I.A. director George Tenet; and John Yoo and Jay Bybee, the Office of Legal Counsel lawyers who drafted what became known as the torture memos. There are many more names that could be considered, including Jose Rodriguez Jr., the C.I.A. official who ordered the destruction of the videotapes; the psychologists who devised the torture regimen; and the C.I.A. employees who carried out that regimen." the New York Times said in its editorial.
Calls for prosecution of US officials after CIA torture report (10 Dec 2014)