torture
Inside the Capitol Rotunda (Jan 21)
Fourteen Witness Against Torture activists entered the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol while dozens more were gathered outside. The Rotunda is site where U.S. presidents are waked, before burial. The U.S. government calls it the "Temple of Liberty" and the "Stage of the Nation." The activists formed a semicircle around the white circle in the Rotunda which designates the spot from which a new president departs for his inauguration and to which a president's body is returned after he dies. more...
42 Arrested at U.S. Capitol in Day of Action to Denounce Obama’s Broken Promises on Guantanamo
Washington, DC - In a dramatic protest, 42 activists with Witness Against Torture were arrested this afternoon at the U.S. Capitol. Most of the arrestees had been fasting since January 11th.
The protest, which comes on the eve of the since-voided deadline President Obama had set for closing the prison camp at Guantanamo, was part of nationwide set of actions today that included dozens of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans lobbying Congress; a campaign by human rights organizations - with the support of the rock superband, Coldplay - to flood Twitter with the "CloseGitmo" message; and, a press conference held by retired Generals at the National Press Club. more...
PROMISES, PROMISES: Gitmo closing deadline missed [AP]
As President Barack Obama neared his self-imposed deadline to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, the Justice Department offices of the terrorist detention task force were bustling — not with lawyers but construction workers tearing apart the walls, ripping out any trace of the secretive work, though Obama's goal is still far off. more...
Day 10: Fast and Vigil for Justice
We started off Day 10 of the fast with a procession to the White House for a press conference with CodePINK. Next, we made our way to the Senate Hart building, where, after lots of meetings and planning, we had the opportunity to put our ideas into action. All of those meetings paid off - the action came together beautifully! more...
Jan 21: Witness Against Torture Decries Obama's Broken Promises, America's Broken Laws, Lives Broken By Torture
WASHINGTON, DC: A year ago today, Barack Obama was inaugurated President, riding a waves of hope and excitement into the Oval Office. Two days later, he signed executive orders outlawing torture and committing his administration to closing Guantanamo within a year. more...
Courage, Muslim Brother, You Do Not Walk Alone
Witness Against Torture activists entered the Hart Senate office building in Washington, DC at 1pm today, January 20, 2010, to lobby Congress in a new way. We were dressed in orange jumpsuits with the names of Guantanamo prisoners that have been cleared for release pinned to our backs. Four activists went to each of the seven floors to walk through the corridors in silence. more...
Murder and CIA Black Sites at Guantanamo?
Washington, D.C. - Murder and CIA Black Sites at Guantanamo? Witness Against Torture Responds to New Revelations with Vigils at the Pentagon and White House; Demands a Full Investigation and Accountability from the Obama Administration more...
A Reflection on Salah, Mani and Yasser
Witness Against Torture Reflects on “The Guantánamo ‘Suicides’: A Camp Delta Sergeant Blows the Whistle,” by Scott Horton (Harper Magazine's March 2010 cover story)
We learned of the deaths of Salah Ahmed Al-Salami, Mani Shaman Al-Utaybi and Yasser Talal Al-Zahrani at Guantanamo as we prepared for a big birthday celebration for Daniel Berrigan’s 85th in New York City. It was June 9, 2006. We were saddened and outraged, but not really surprised. more...
The Guantánamo “Suicides”: A Camp Delta sergeant blows the whistle [Harper's Magazine]
By Scott Horton
This is the full text of an exclusive advance feature by Scott Horton that will appear in the March 2010 Harper's Magazine. The issue will be available on newsstands the week of February 15. more...
Today Human Rights Activists Confront John Yoo--Torture-Memo Author-- at Book Signing
Human Rights Activists to Confront Torture-Memo Author John Yoo at Book Signing
Washington, DC — Thirty-five to forty human rights activists from Witness Against Torture will protest the appearance of Bush administration Department of Justice attorney John Yoo at the Federalist Society at 11:30 on Friday, January 15. more...