Dear US residents in Switzerland
January 11, 2008 marks the 6th ‘anniversary’ of the first transfers of ‘war on terror’ detainees to the US detention centre in Guant?namo Bay, Cuba. For this reason, Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 reputed US citizens living in Switzerland ask for your support.
The United States and Switzerland share a long tradition of common values particularly freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The United States also used to be a driving force behind the establishment of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Now, however, we are concerned about the betrayal of these fundamental principles in the US government’s fight against terrorism. “Special interrogation techniques” that amount to torture, the abduction and indefinite detention of hundreds of terrorism suspects at Guant?namo Bay and at secret CIA detention sites without the detainees being formally accused and brought to court for many years have seriously undermined the United States’ reputation as a champion of justice and human rights.
We maintain that the fundamental values of our societies cannot be suspended during the fight against terrorism: On the one hand, torture breeds hate and lays the ground for future terrorism. On the other hand, the recent sentences passed by an ordinary Spanish court on the persons responsible for the 2004 bombings in Madrid prove that the rule of law can counter terrorism effectively without sacrificing fundamental human rights principles.
A country’s institutions are primarily accountable to its own citizens. We therefore call on US citizens abroad to protest against abuses in the so-called “war on terror”, in order to bring US counterterrorism policies back in line with the rule of law and human rights. Amnesty International’s Framework contains the main guidelines to be followed for countering terrorism with justice.
We request you to put your name to this framework and thereby contribute to pressuring the US authorities to cease the practice of illegal detentions in the “war on terror”.
We thank you for your dedication to a world where extraordinary rendition and torture have no place.
Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 US first signatories:
Ron Halbright, Co-President, National Coalition Building Institute, Thalwil; Pamela Jaunin, College Teacher, Biel-Bienne; Susan Kish, Director, First Tuesday Global, Zurich; , Michael Leyton, Nuclear Physicist, CERN, Geneva; Marianne Loner, Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management, Zurich; Caitlin Kraft Buchman, Independent Editor, Geneva; Robin Platt, Software Designer, Berne; Christopher Ritter, Independent Editor, Berne; David Sylvan, Professor in International Relations, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva; Heidi Uetz-Sterling, Adult Education Program Coordinator, International School of Berne.
--> What you can do:
1)Download the “Framework against illegal detention”: --> www.amnesty.ch/en
2)Sign it and send it to your elected representatives in congress and/or the chairs of key committees. Copy in the US Embassy in Bern. ? addresses:
? Your elected representatives (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
? Chairs of the (1) Judiciary, (2) Armed forces, (3) Homeland security & gov. affairs Committees (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt
? US Embassy, Jubil?umsstrasse 93, 3005 Berne
Best regards,
Amnesty International, Swiss Section
Global Forums > General > 6 years of Guantanamo is enough!
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6 years of Guantanamo is enough!
Jan 10, 2008 @ 12:07
The text you are quoting:
Dear US residents in Switzerland
January 11, 2008 marks the 6th ‘anniversary’ of the first transfers of ‘war on terror’ detainees to the US detention centre in Guant?namo Bay, Cuba. For this reason, Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 reputed US citizens living in Switzerland ask for your support.
The United States and Switzerland share a long tradition of common values particularly freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The United States also used to be a driving force behind the establishment of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Now, however, we are concerned about the betrayal of these fundamental principles in the US government’s fight against terrorism. “Special interrogation techniques” that amount to torture, the abduction and indefinite detention of hundreds of terrorism suspects at Guant?namo Bay and at secret CIA detention sites without the detainees being formally accused and brought to court for many years have seriously undermined the United States’ reputation as a champion of justice and human rights.
We maintain that the fundamental values of our societies cannot be suspended during the fight against terrorism: On the one hand, torture breeds hate and lays the ground for future terrorism. On the other hand, the recent sentences passed by an ordinary Spanish court on the persons responsible for the 2004 bombings in Madrid prove that the rule of law can counter terrorism effectively without sacrificing fundamental human rights principles.
A country’s institutions are primarily accountable to its own citizens. We therefore call on US citizens abroad to protest against abuses in the so-called “war on terror”, in order to bring US counterterrorism policies back in line with the rule of law and human rights. Amnesty International’s Framework contains the main guidelines to be followed for countering terrorism with justice.
We request you to put your name to this framework and thereby contribute to pressuring the US authorities to cease the practice of illegal detentions in the “war on terror”.
We thank you for your dedication to a world where extraordinary rendition and torture have no place.
Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 US first signatories:
Ron Halbright, Co-President, National Coalition Building Institute, Thalwil; Pamela Jaunin, College Teacher, Biel-Bienne; Susan Kish, Director, First Tuesday Global, Zurich; , Michael Leyton, Nuclear Physicist, CERN, Geneva; Marianne Loner, Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management, Zurich; Caitlin Kraft Buchman, Independent Editor, Geneva; Robin Platt, Software Designer, Berne; Christopher Ritter, Independent Editor, Berne; David Sylvan, Professor in International Relations, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva; Heidi Uetz-Sterling, Adult Education Program Coordinator, International School of Berne.
--> What you can do:
1)Download the “Framework against illegal detention”: --> www.amnesty.ch/en
2)Sign it and send it to your elected representatives in congress and/or the chairs of key committees. Copy in the US Embassy in Bern. ? addresses:
? Your elected representatives (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
? Chairs of the (1) Judiciary, (2) Armed forces, (3) Homeland security & gov. affairs Committees (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt
? US Embassy, Jubil?umsstrasse 93, 3005 Berne
Best regards,
Amnesty International, Swiss Section
egraffJan 10, 2008 @ 12:07
January 11, 2008 marks the 6th ‘anniversary’ of the first transfers of ‘war on terror’ detainees to the US detention centre in Guant?namo Bay, Cuba. For this reason, Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 reputed US citizens living in Switzerland ask for your support.
The United States and Switzerland share a long tradition of common values particularly freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The United States also used to be a driving force behind the establishment of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Now, however, we are concerned about the betrayal of these fundamental principles in the US government’s fight against terrorism. “Special interrogation techniques” that amount to torture, the abduction and indefinite detention of hundreds of terrorism suspects at Guant?namo Bay and at secret CIA detention sites without the detainees being formally accused and brought to court for many years have seriously undermined the United States’ reputation as a champion of justice and human rights.
We maintain that the fundamental values of our societies cannot be suspended during the fight against terrorism: On the one hand, torture breeds hate and lays the ground for future terrorism. On the other hand, the recent sentences passed by an ordinary Spanish court on the persons responsible for the 2004 bombings in Madrid prove that the rule of law can counter terrorism effectively without sacrificing fundamental human rights principles.
A country’s institutions are primarily accountable to its own citizens. We therefore call on US citizens abroad to protest against abuses in the so-called “war on terror”, in order to bring US counterterrorism policies back in line with the rule of law and human rights. Amnesty International’s Framework contains the main guidelines to be followed for countering terrorism with justice.
We request you to put your name to this framework and thereby contribute to pressuring the US authorities to cease the practice of illegal detentions in the “war on terror”.
We thank you for your dedication to a world where extraordinary rendition and torture have no place.
Amnesty International’s Swiss section and 10 US first signatories:
Ron Halbright, Co-President, National Coalition Building Institute, Thalwil; Pamela Jaunin, College Teacher, Biel-Bienne; Susan Kish, Director, First Tuesday Global, Zurich; , Michael Leyton, Nuclear Physicist, CERN, Geneva; Marianne Loner, Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management, Zurich; Caitlin Kraft Buchman, Independent Editor, Geneva; Robin Platt, Software Designer, Berne; Christopher Ritter, Independent Editor, Berne; David Sylvan, Professor in International Relations, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva; Heidi Uetz-Sterling, Adult Education Program Coordinator, International School of Berne.
--> What you can do:
1)Download the “Framework against illegal detention”: --> www.amnesty.ch/en
2)Sign it and send it to your elected representatives in congress and/or the chairs of key committees. Copy in the US Embassy in Bern. ? addresses:
? Your elected representatives (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
? Chairs of the (1) Judiciary, (2) Armed forces, (3) Homeland security & gov. affairs Committees (Senate and/or House): www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt
? US Embassy, Jubil?umsstrasse 93, 3005 Berne
Best regards,
Amnesty International, Swiss Section
egraffJan 10, 2008 @ 12:07
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