Rights and Renditions News

Today is Call-In Day for Closing down the SOA: School of the Americas/WHINSEC see School of Americas Watch SOAW here

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Join CCR Executive Director Vincent Warren in Atlanta, GA USA on March 4, 2009. He will join Akinyele Umoja from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and others for a panel discussion, "The Right to Dissent: Challenging Political Repression," moderated by the US Human Rights Network. The speakers will address attacks on dissent that have taken place both in recent years and throughout decades of repression and resistance, particularly the targeting of activists, the labeling of dissenters as "terrorists," political prisoners in the US and the creation of new categories of repression, including "enemy combatants."

Vincent Warren will discuss the Center's 100 Days Campaign, that addresses the urgent need to restore, protect and expand the right to dissent, as well as the need to end torture, arbitrary detention and extraordinary rendition, roll back executive power, abolish preventive detention, limit the state secrets privilege, reform presidential war powers, and end warrantless wiretapping.

WHAT: The Right to Dissent: Challenging Political Repression
WHO: Featuring CCR Executive Director Vince Warren
WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 7:00 PM
WHERE: US Human Rights Network, 250 Georgia Avenue SW , 3rd Floor Conference Room, Atlanta, GA 30312

The event is free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,

Annette Dickerson

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RENDITIONS & related - for the following items, please go here

Independent: Terrorist threat 'exploited to curb civil liberties' 2009-02-17

Her comments came on the same day as a report published by international jurists suggested that Britain and America have led other countries in "actively undermining" the rule of law and "threatening civil liberties" in the guise of fighting terrorism.

AlterNet: Rendition is a Horrible, Violent Crime in Any Form -- It Should Not Be U.S. Policy 2009-02-17

Twenty-five lines edited out of the court documents included details about how Mohamed’s genitals were sliced with a scalpel as well as other torture methods so extreme that waterboarding “is very far down the list of things they did,” according to a British official quoted by the Telegraph (UK).

guardian.co.uk: Whitehall devised torture policy for terror detainees 2009-02-17

A policy governing the interrogation of terrorism suspects in Pakistan that led to British citizens and residents being tortured was devised by MI5 lawyers and figures in government, according to evidence heard in court.

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Also see All articles especially recent item on Renditions by Marjorie Cohn, President of the National Lawyers Guild: here

Always take a look at the Bill of Rights Defense Committee News:
here