Activism For US Accountability
Several human rights organizations are directing activism efforts demanding U.S accountability for its involvement in Arar’s rendition and presumed subsequent torture. Amnesty International USA is leading the “I Apologize” campaign. The campaign is aimed at an official U.S. public apology to Arar, compensation for “all economically assessable damage caused by the U.S.’s detention and transfer of to face torture in Syria,” and “full accountability for the many human rights violations committed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in the name of countering terrorism.” The campaign includes an online petition directed at President Obama and members of the U.S. Congress, paper airplane petitions that will be delivered to President Obama in 2012, and public events to increase awareness of the case and to collect petition signatures. In July 2011, Human Rights Watch released a report highlighting violations of U.S. and international law committed by Bush administration officials in their counterterrorism efforts, including the rendition of Arar. The report recommends the initiation of a criminal investigation into the U.S. government’s detention practices and interrogation methods since September 11, 2011 and the fulfillment of the U.S. obligation under the Convention against Torture to ensure that victims of torture obtain redress. Other organizations that have supported U.S. accountability for Arar’s case include the Campaign for Liberty, the Center for Constitutional Rights, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, the Alliance for Justice, Appeal for Justice, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, the Center for Justice and Accountability, the Center for Victims of Torture, Human Rights Advocates, the International Justice Network, amongst others.
Read more about this topic: Maher Arar