ACLU Praises Adoption of Amendment Requiring Video Recording of Interrogations (5/23/2008)
House of
Representatives Adds Amendment to the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: (202) 675-2312 or
media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON, DC – The American Civil
Liberties Union praises last night’s House of Representatives floor vote that
adopted, by a margin of 218-192 (including 15 Republicans) the Holt/Tauscher/Grijalva/Schakowsky Amendment
to the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment
requires the recording and retention of videos of strategic interrogations of
persons under the custody or control of the Defense Department. The amendment
would bring these interrogations into line with recommended best practices for
military and law enforcement interrogations – increasing accountability for
compliance with the McCain Anti-Torture Amendment and other anti-torture
laws.
“It is time to turn on the cameras
and stop the torture. This amendment does much to restore justice and humanity
to our nation’s interrogation policies,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of
the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Representatives Holt, Tauscher,
Grijalva and Schakowsky deserve our commendation for offering this vital
amendment that begins to undo the damage done to our nation’s values caused by
recent revelations of torture by American
personnel.”
“This straightforward videotaping
requirement may do more to shut down the government's torture program than many
of the new laws passed by Congress,” said Christopher Anders, ACLU Senior
Legislative Counsel. “Federal interrogators will soon learn what hundreds of
police departments using videotape for interrogations have learned – it's harder
to break the law when the camera is running.”
The
Holt/Tauscher/Grijalva/Schakowsky Amendment passed by a vote of 218-192, with 15
Republicans and 23 Democrats breaking party ranks. Last year, the amendment
lost, with 12 Republicans and 44 Democrats breaking party ranks, meaning the
amendment's sponsors, the ACLU, and other opponents of torture picked up 3
Republicans and 21 Democrats since last year's vote.
The ACLU
letter to House of Representatives urging support of the Video Recording of
Interrogations Amendment
is available at:
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/35440leg20080522.html
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