On May 11, 2015, the U.S. government was reviewed for the second time under the Universal Period Review (UPR) process, a process in which a country’s entire human rights record is examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Center for Constitutional Rights, an American non-profit organization founded in 1966 by civil rights attorneys, submitted a report to the UN.

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The U.S. government has failed to hold U.S. officials accountable for torture and other serious violations of international law at Guantánamo and other U.S. detention sites. Despite its promise of a new era of respect for the rule of law, the Obama administration has repeatedly acted to ensure impunity for those under the Bush administration who planned, authorized, and committed torture. The Obama administration must honor its commitment to restore the rule of law by conducting a comprehensive investigation into well‐documented and grave human rights abuses at Guantánamo, in Iraq and elsewhere, including torture. Specifically, the Attorney General should appoint an independent prosecutor with a mandate to investigate and prosecute those responsible for torture and other war crimes, as far up the chain of command as the facts may lead. Moreover, President Obama should condemn newly revealed pressure by his own administration to obstruct efforts within the Spanish judiciary to investigate egregious violations of international law, including the torture of former Guantánamo detainees and other individuals who have been subjected to the U.S. torture program, and fully cooperate with the proceedings in Spain. To date, there is no pending independent criminal investigation into torture; the U.S. government has made clear that neither the authors of the Bush Administration’s “torture memos” nor those who relied on these memos would be subject to investigation. There is also no prosecution for the destruction of evidence of torture in at least 92 interrogation videotapes, including of detainees who are still in Guantánamo. Moreover, the U.S. government has opposed every civil action brought against U.S. officials, shutting the courthouse doors to torture victims and other victims of U.S. so‐called “national security policies.” [continue reading]

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To read the full report, please click here.

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