Letter to Department of Justice

Dear Friends and Supporters,

On Tuesday, June 15th -- a day after the acquittal of Witness Against Torture members in DC Superior Court of charges stemming from a January protest -- a coalition of groups and individuals met with Portia Roberson, the head of the Office of Public Liaison at the Department of Justice. Our goal was to express our frustration with detention policies under the Obama administration and articulate steps we'd like to see the Justice Department take. The letter we submitted to DoJ, which outlines those steps, is attached.

The meeting included Richard Sroczynski, Matt Daloisio, Helen Schietinger, and Jeremy Varon from WAT; Sue Udry from Defending Dissent; Leili Kashani (Education and Outreach Director) and Bill Quigley (Legal Director) from the Center for Constitutional Rights; and Orlando Tizon from the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International. We were honored to have, as late additions to the meeting, Syed Anwar Hashmi and Jeanne Theoharis. Syed is the father of Fahad Hashmi, a student from Queens, NY, who spent over 3 years in severe pre-trial solitary confinement at the MCC prison in New York City. He was accused of housing a suitcase with waterproof socks and rain ponchos that were delivered to a terrorist organization in Pakistan. Fahad continues to be subject to draconian "special administrative measures" (SAMs) that create conditions of detention amounting to torture. Jeanne Theoharis, Fahad's academic advisor at Brooklyn College, has done extensive work to publicize Fahad's plight, rally support on his behalf, and expose the unjustifiable brutality of SAMs.

The meeting was both interesting and constructive. Ms. Roberson conveyed repeatedly that she appreciates our disappointment and anger even, and was very intent on learning more about our point of view. She was particularly impressed that we are not, for the most part, professional human rights advocates but instead "everyday people." Her message was that she'd love to advocate, internal to DoJ, on our behalf. She would therefore like from us documentation supporting our position and demands. She also expressed a strong willingness to have a follow-up meeting.

We were both gracious toward Ms. Roberson and honest about our upset. We certainly appreciate the openness to dialogue. We will provide the materials she requested, and pursue additional meetings with her and others in DoJ. That said, actions speak far more loudly than words, and we insist on real changes in policy, not simply expressions of sympathy. We made all this clear, representing our position with both force and dignity.

The most moving portions of the meeting were hearing from Orlando, as a torture survivor, about the need for accountability, and from Mr. Hasmi about the nightmare his son and the entire family have endured. Ms. Roberson appeared personally touched by this.

The consensus in the group was that we should pursue things with DoJ as far as they will take us. Whatever her sympathies, Ms. Robeson does not set policy. Others in the Justice Department have staked out deeply disturbing positions on various matters -- from indefinite detention to the use of Military Commissions — knowing full well the objections of our community. It will be interesting to see if we will be granted a hearing with those at DoJ responsible for policy, and if any aspect of our demands will be met.

We certainly promise to update this list on developments hereafter with DoJ and to solicit advice from the list when valuable.

Many thanks, everyone,

Jeremy Varon - Witness Against Torture