June 12, 2008
 
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NRCAT President Lauds Supreme Court Decision on Habeas Corpus

(Washington)  The President of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Linda Gustitus, issued the following statement in response to today's pivotal U.S. Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush:

"Today's decision restores to detainees a fundamental legal and moral right - the right to challenge the reason for their confinement before an independent court of law. This right is grounded in our nation's Constitution and in our shared American values. As Justice Anthony Kennedy noted in his majority opinion, there are no exceptions to the underlying principles of our Constitution.

"While a significant victory, restoring habeas corpus rights does not, in and of itself, ensure moral treatment of detainees. We still need to mandate one national standard for the interrogation of detainees that prohibits torture, close secret CIA prisons, and end rendition for torture."

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