Urge Congress to Affirm Rejection of Torture

From the Center for the Victims of Torture (http://www.cvt.org/):

The ugly threat of torture is back. Your help is needed now.

CVT is horrified at reports of a draft Executive Order that would facilitate torture and abusive detention practices, including a return to the use of “black sites” outside the United States to carry out illegal interrogations. In an interview with ABC News Wednesday, President Trump spoke in favor of torture, stating he believes it works.

At CVT, we strongly disagree. And we are not alone.

In a recent confirmation hearing, in response to direct questions about returning to policies of torture, CIA Director Mike Pompeo replied “Absolutely not.” His response echoed those given by fellow cabinet nominees who were pointedly questioned about the use of torture. All of them promised to follow the law. The American people must be vigilant in holding them to that.

Last year a bipartisan group of more than 100 senior-level leaders in the national security, foreign policy, military and faith sectors signed CVT’s Call to Reject Torture, opposing torture unequivocally.

And before that, in a show of overwhelming bipartisan support, the McCain-Feinstein anti-torture amendment passed the Senate in November 2015 by a vote of 78-21. The critical measures in this amendment help to safeguard against any future torture program being authorized again.

Torture is a crime under both international and domestic law and it violates American values. The U.S. must reject torture and any attempts to resurrect it. We must take steps now to prevent a return to the shameful mistakes of our past.

Please act now. Contact your Senators and Representatives today and ask them to speak out against torture and affirm that it is illegal, immoral and ineffective. Ask them to reject torture now.