The International Justice Network is asking for organizations to sign on to a joint statement before the United Nations Human Rights Council on Torture. The full request with links to the joint statement is included below. I ask that you ask any and all organizations that you work with or are familiar with to sign on to this joint statement. The Joint Statemetn will be presented to the Council on January 22nd:
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing you because last year we had
your support in a joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council on torture
and forced disappearances committed by the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its so-called fight against terrorism.
On occasion were more than 100 organizations around the world by sending a
strong message against impunity.
Today we ask for your support again.
This month, back in 2002, the United States
government decided to open a detention center at Guantánamo Bay to hold suspects
of terrorism. This overseas center designed to exist beyond the rule of law and
far away from public scrutiny. January also mark the month when President
Obama, back in 2009, issued his Executive Order, promising to close Guantánamo
within one year. As we all know, until today Guantánamo remains open.
Guantánamo is a human rights and humanitarian
crisis in the Americas region. An example of unlawful actions, impunity, lack
of due process and infringement of the right to truth, justice and redress. For
many years now, rights groups in the US have been fighting to close it down.
Considering that 2016 is Obama’s last year in
power, we would like to ask for your support to join us in a joint
statement(see enclosed) urging President Obama to close Guantánamo and
guarantee full accountability to in all cases of torture and other
ill-treatment. We also add a specific call to Latin American states, to
contribute to resolving this human rights and humanitarian crisis by supporting
a regional humanitarian effort to receive Guantánamo’s detainees as refugees,
responding inclusive to the recent call made by the InterAmerican Commission on
Human Rights in its latest report on closing Guantánamo.
If you would like to add your organization to the list of
endorsing groups, please send an email to Laura Waisbich: laura.waisbich@conectas.org by
COB next Thursday, January 21st.
We
are hoping to make it public by January, 22nd, the anniversary of Obama's
Executive Order.
Feel
free to share among your networks, so we can get a wide support across the
region.
Best
regards,
Laura
Waisbich
Posts
