FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 4, 2012          

CONTACT: Samantha Friedman, Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications; Office: (202) 265-3000; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fact Not Fiction: People of Faith Say the Public Needs to Know the Truth about Torture

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 31, Senators Diane Feinstein (D. – Calif.), John McCain (R. – Ariz.) and Carl Levin (D. – Mich.) sent a letter to Acting CIA Director Michael Morell seeking information provided to the makers of the film, “Zero Dark Thirty,” a film that falsely portrays torture as an effective intelligence gathering method. In response to the senators’ action, Rev. Richard Killmer, executive director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, released the following statement today:

"Torture is illegal, immoral and counterproductive. The film, “Zero Dark Thirty,” falsely implies that torture provided key evidence leading to finding Osama bin Laden. According to Senators Feinstein, McCain and Levin, a recently concluded investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee refutes that implication. These senators have contacted the CIA to determine what information, if any, the agency provided to the filmmakers to lead them to their inaccurate implication.

The U.S. government’s past use of torture is a moral travesty, and the American public needs to know the facts about it. This matter is too important to be left up to Hollywood. In the absence of facts, movies like “Zero Dark Thirty,” might lead people to believe that torture works and is acceptable. In order to ensure that the public learns the truth about torture, the Senate Intelligence Committee needs to move to release the results of its investigation to the public.

The truth is that torture is immoral, illegal and ineffective. The public needs to know that."

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