Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) joined 20 other organizations and five individuals in urging the Department of Justice to refer the Administration’s use of extraordinary rendition to the Inspectors General of the Defense Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Justice, and any other department involved in allegations of abuse relating to extraordinary rendition. PHR and other groups called attention to the Department of Justice’s policy regarding cases that involve credible allegations of government wrongdoing but are ended because of the government’s invocation of the state secrets privilege. The policy allows the Department of Justice to refer such cases to the Inspector General of the appropriate department or agency for investigation. While the groups relayed this demand for an investigation to the Department of Justice in December 2010, they are now making their demands public following this week’s Supreme Court decision not to hear Mohamed v. Jeppesen, a case challenging extraordinary rendition that the government previously quashed using the state secrets privilege. Given the credible allegations of government wrongdoing in Mohamed v. Jeppesen and similar cases, the Department of Justice should refer the case to the Inspectors General for investigation. Such an investigation is now even more urgent now that it is clear the Jeppesen case will not come before the Supreme Court. Referring these allegations of government wrongdoing for further investigation will ensure that the government cannot invoke the state secrets privilege solely to avoid public scrutiny and will be the first step to providing greater accountability for government abuses.Read the letter: [download id=”33″]
