Human Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08.04.2004 CONTACT Julie Bernstein 202-822-6070, ext. 297 Kelly Landis 202-822-6070, ext. 338 Prominent Members of the Legal Community Demand Full Disclosure and Immediate Inquiry of Bush Administration's Involvement in Torture Memos Washington, D.C. — Washington, DC-An unprecedented, bipartisan group of prestigious lawyers including 12 former judges, eight American Bar Association presidents and many elected officials released a statement today criticizing the Bush Administration's preparation of memos related to torture. These lawyers have called upon the administration to release all memoranda and documents related to the treatment of prisoners and detainees and for an appropriate inquiry of how and why the memoranda were prepared and by whom they were approved. "Americans have always looked to lawyers to protect their rights and liberties," said Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron. "It is especially dismaying that a group of administration lawyers betrayed the trust Americans reposed in them and their professional responsibility in order to support policies and practices that violate our Constitution." This charter group of signatories released their statement on the eve of the American Bar Association's Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, a time when the nation's lawyers come together to discuss critical issues affecting the rule of law and justice here and abroad. A working group of prominent lawyers, law professors and public interest and human rights groups- including representatives from the Alliance for Justice, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, Physicians for Human Rights, and the American Civil Liberties Union-organized this effort several weeks ago. The group will continue to urge Congress and the administration to conduct their investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner. The Lawyers' Statement on Bush Administration's Torture Memos and the current list of signatories can be viewed from the attached link.