The lawyer for five Guantánamo Bay prisoners charged with plotting the September 11 attacks [6] has asked President Barack Obama to declassify the CIA interrogation program that allegedly subjected prisoners to torture. The letter (PDF [7]), made public on Oct. 25, calls upon Obama to make the details of the CIA's rendition [8], detention and interrogation (RDI) program public. This program has been linked to certain interrogation techniques that have been said constitute torture. In the letter, the lawyer for the defendants argues:
All aspects of the RDI program with respect to our clients against whom the United States seeks to impose the death penalty. True transparency and meaningful justice can only be achieved by a faithful application of deeds to aspirational statements. ... Existing classification restrictions surrounding the RDI program only facilitate further concealment of war crimes committed by agents of our government. ... Restrictions further violate our domestic commitment under the Convention Against Torture and the universal prohibition against silencing victims against torture.
Essentially, the letter argues that the continued classification of this program is suppressing important evidence related to the case. Additionally, the lawyer claims that allowing the program that allegedly condoned torture to remain classified is unjust to the trial process.
From Jurist [9], Oct. 26. Used with permission.
