Days of Action for Human Security in the War on Terror

22 -28 January 2007

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Canada: Maher Arar - The Human Face of Extraordinary Rendition

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Human Security in the War on Terror —
Take Action

In late 2003, Muhammad Bashmila, Salah ‘Ali Qaru and Muhammad al-Assad “disappeared” after being arrested and handed over to US officials in Jordan and Tanzania.

The three men weren’t heard of again until May 2005 when they were returned to their home country of Yemen. Their story reveals a shadowy network of US-run prisons scattered across continents. For over two years they were moved from site to site on secret flights, tortured and interrogated.

Although later convicted of forging travel documents, the men were never charged with any terrorism-related offences. Yet the label of “security risk” remains. Their lives may never return to normal.

Muhammad Bashmila, Salah ‘Ali Qaru and Muhammad al-Assad were victims of rendition – the illegal transfer of people from one country to another in ways that bypass normal arrest and extradition procedures. The purpose in most cases is to interrogate suspects outside the reach of the law.

Hundreds of people are believed to be victims of rendition. However, the secrecy surrounding the practice makes it is impossible to know how many people have been arrested or abducted, transferred across borders, held in secret detention or tortured.

Take Action

Write to the U.S. authorities and demand an end to prisoner transfers and torture:

Dear Director Hayden,

I am concerned that the United States is secretly transporting hundreds of people to other countries so they can be imprisoned, questioned and sometimes tortured outside the reach of the law.

There is absolutely no justification for these violations of human rights.

I urge the United States government to immediately stop this practice, to disclose the whereabouts of all people secretly sent to foreign prisons, and to bring to justice anyone responsible for the torture of these prisoners.

Yours sincerely,

Write to:

Michael Hayden, Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Office of Public Affairs,
Washington DC 20505
USA