FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2014

CONTACT: Benny Witkovsky, West End Strategy Team - Office: (202) 776-7700; cell: (202) 765-4290; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

National Faith Organization Asks: “How Long Must We Wait For Truth?”

WASHINGTON – Five years since the investigation began, two years since the report was adopted, and seven months since the Committee voted to make it public, the American people continue to wait to learn the truth about the CIA’s torture program, as described in the Senate Intelligence Committee torture report.  Today, news articles indicated that Secretary John Kerry may have suggested further delaying the release of the report.  Responding to these reports, Matt Hawthorne, Policy Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture released the following statement:

“How long do the American people have to wait to get the truth from this government?  The torture program ended almost six years ago - since then there has been a bipartisan vote in Congress in favor of releasing the facts about torture to the public.  President Obama has said that he would like the report to be released next week but that comes after the CIA delayed release for several months by insisting on unreasonable redactions, and now there are reports that the State Department has suggested further delays.  What can the President do to make his Administration live up to his own promises?  

Being honest about your own wrongdoing is hard, but as the people of faith who make up the National Religious Campaign Against Torture know, honesty is the first step toward redemption.  Although long delayed, the time for honesty, the time for redemption is at hand.  It is time to release the torture report.”

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.

NRCAT.org     @NRCATtweets     facebook.com/nrcat

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