Petition Against Torture and Cruel and Unusual Pun...

Feed

Image 1 of 4

Author: Julian Jensen

Started: June 26, 2006, 5:52:28 pm

Target: United States Government

Category: Civil & Human Rights

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

WHEREAS, No government can or ought to claim authority to act in the name of its citizens in committing, advancing or condonning any offense against humanity as contrary to natural law or common standards of human decency, such as subjecting any person under its control to torture, cruel or unusual punishment or degrading treatment;

WHEREAS, The undersigned citizens as an act of conscious take exception to the aforedescribed wrongful actions and state to the world that the government of the United States of America has no right or moral authority to commit such acts or practices in the names of its dissenting citizens;

WHEREAS, It is the position of the undersubcribed citizens of the United States of America that all acts and poliicies which cause, advance or condone torture, cruel and unusual punishments or degrading conduct against or upon any individual subject to detention or incarceration by our government should be illegal and be terminated forthwith;

SPECIFICALLY, the following citizens proclaim as illegal and immoral practices by the government of the United States of America to engage in policies of "rendition" of detainees to foreign governments with the probable knowledge that they will be subject to torture and other illegal acts; or the signing of legislative acts prohibiting or limiting torture or cruel and unusal punishment under so called "reservation of rights" or other executive claims not to be obligated to support or enforce such laws;

NOW THEREFORE, the undersigned citizens call upon their government to forthwith enact the following policies and legislation:

1. The executive offices of government, both civilian and military, to give full and unmitigated support to current laws and orders prohibiting torture, crueal and unusual punishment or degrading treatment of all detainees.

2. The executive branch of government to forthwith terminate the wrongful policies enumerated above, including the rendition of detainees to foreign governments or secret facilities.

3. The executive branch of government to end the holding of detainees for indefinite periods of time without charges or due process of law.

4. For Congress to pass further legislation as necessary to make illegal the torture or cruel or unusual treatment of any person held or detained by the United States of America.

5. For Congress to establish an independent Commission to have access to all non-citizens held or detained by the United States of America to insure reasonable and humane treatment of all such detainees and to report its findings to Congress and the American People and to have authority to investigate and refer to the Justice Department any official or agent of the United States in violation of law in the treatment of non-citizen detainees.