On October 18, 2007, Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) client and extraordinary rendition victim Maher Arar testified at a House Joint Committee hearing convened to discuss his rendition by the U.S. to Syria for torture and interrogation.
"In sharing my experiences with you, I hope that the effects of torturing a human being will be better understood," said Maher Arar to the members of Congress. "I also hope to convey how fragile our human rights have become, and how easily they can be taken from us by the same governments that have sworn to protect them."
Mr. Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen, was detained at JFK Airport in September 2002 while changing planes on his way home to Canada. The Bush administration labeled him a member of Al Qaeda and sent him not to Canada, his home and country of citizenship, but against his will to Syrian intelligence authorities renowned for torture. He was tortured, interrogated and detained in a tiny underground cell for nearly a year before the Syrian government released him, stating they had found no ties to terrorism. The Canadian government, after an exhaustive public inquiry, also found that Mr. Arar had no connections to terrorism. In January 2004, just three months after he returned home to Canada from his ordeal, CCR filed a suit on Mr. Arar's behalf against John Ashcroft and other U.S. officials.
CCR Attorney Maria LaHood said, "Congress and the courts must hold those responsible for Maher's torture and rendition accountable. The government owes Maher a formal apology for what it did to an innocent man and must launch a full and open investigation into his case."
This was Mr. Arar's first appearance before a governmental body in the U.S., but his testimony was given via video-link because the U.S. government will not allow him to enter the country. Although Mr. Arar will not be available for interviews, his CCR attorneys are available to comment.
"In sharing my experiences with you, I hope that the effects of torturing a human being will be better understood," said Maher Arar to the members of Congress. "I also hope to convey how fragile our human rights have become, and how easily they can be taken from us by the same governments that have sworn to protect them."
Mr. Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen, was detained at JFK Airport in September 2002 while changing planes on his way home to Canada. The Bush administration labeled him a member of Al Qaeda and sent him not to Canada, his home and country of citizenship, but against his will to Syrian intelligence authorities renowned for torture. He was tortured, interrogated and detained in a tiny underground cell for nearly a year before the Syrian government released him, stating they had found no ties to terrorism. The Canadian government, after an exhaustive public inquiry, also found that Mr. Arar had no connections to terrorism. In January 2004, just three months after he returned home to Canada from his ordeal, CCR filed a suit on Mr. Arar's behalf against John Ashcroft and other U.S. officials.
CCR Attorney Maria LaHood said, "Congress and the courts must hold those responsible for Maher's torture and rendition accountable. The government owes Maher a formal apology for what it did to an innocent man and must launch a full and open investigation into his case."
This was Mr. Arar's first appearance before a governmental body in the U.S., but his testimony was given via video-link because the U.S. government will not allow him to enter the country. Although Mr. Arar will not be available for interviews, his CCR attorneys are available to comment.
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.
Last modified
January 14, 2008