Fight for Justice for Maher Arar

I'm forwarding to my readers an important message from Center for Constitutional Rights regarding the Maher Arar case. I highly encourage readers to write to Attorney General Holder, as explained below:

Dear CCR Supporter:

Many of you have closely followed Maher Arar's case since it was filed 5 years ago. Today, in the hopes of finally seeing justice, we are petitioning the United States Supreme Court to hear Mr. Arar's extraordinary rendition case and we urgently need you to take action.

In 2002, Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was detained at JFK airport while on his way home to Canada from abroad. He was interrogated, detained in the U.S. for 2 weeks, denied his right to go to court and then secretly rendered to Syria where he was tortured and held in a grave-like underground cell for over ten months. He was never charged with a crime. You can learn more about Mr. Arar's case on our website.

In a disturbing decision last November, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed CCR's civil case Arar v. Ashcroft in a 7-4 decision. In a strongly worded dissent, Judge Guido Calabresi wrote, "I believe that when the history of this distinguished court is written, today's majority decision will be viewed with dismay." We are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Maher Arar's case and allow him his day in court. No one should ever be rendered to torture and those who have suffered at the hands of the U.S. government are entitled to redress.

You can help CCR fight for justice for Maher Arar. Tell Attorney General Eric Holder to stop defending the Bush administration's wrongs and urge him to:

• Acknowledge the wrong done to Maher Arar in a public apology;
• Remove Maher Arar from the US Terror Watch List;
• Appoint outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute crimes relating to Maher Arar's rendition;
• Remedy the harm done to Maher Arar; and
• Ensure that the US does not send anyone to torture or arbitrary detention.

Click here to write to Attorney General Holder. Thank you for standing with us in the ongoing fight against torture and impunity.

Yours truly,

Annette Dickerson
Director of Education and Outreach