FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2013

Contact: Samantha Friedman, West End Strategy Team
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Religious, Military, Government Leaders United in Calling for Release of the Report on Torture

Washington, D.C. – A newly released statement features prominent religious, national security, foreign policy and military leaders who support the public release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation program. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture joined the Center for Victims of Torture, Human Rights First, and The Constitution Project in collecting signatures for the statement. Signers of the statement, and other prominent leaders who support release of the report, can be found along with the text of the statement online.

Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, applauded the breadth of support for release of the Intelligence Committee’s report: “For faith leaders, this is a moral issue – the public must know the truth about the CIA’s treatment of prisoners. That faith leaders are joined by so many leaders from military, intelligence and foreign policy backgrounds in calling for the same thing – release of the Intelligence Committee report – suggests that not only should the report be released on moral grounds, but also on legal and pragmatic ones as well.”

Matt Hawthorne, Policy Director for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, added, “Releasing the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report is just basic good governance. Our government should not cover up past wrongdoing. Instead, the public should have the facts so that we can ensure that future interrogation policy is humane, legal and effective.”

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 325 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.
www.nrcat.org
Follow NRCAT on Twitter at @NRCATtweets and on Facebook at facebook.com/nrcat.