Tortured Justice: Using Coerced Evidence to Prosecute Terrorist Suspects

Tortured Justice finds the Bush Administration has undercut its own intended use of the military commission system at Guantanamo Bay by allowing the admission of coerced evidence. The administration sanctioned the use of harsh interrogation methods, claiming that the need to protect the nation against another terrorist attack took precedence over any future complications in prosecuting terrorist suspects. For the first time in American history Congress and the administration authorized the admission of coerced confessions during criminal trials by including provisions in the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The report focuses on six Guantanamo prisoners who have alleged abuse while in custody and also includes a chart identifying 62 other prisoners who allege abuse, alongside the names of those they may have implicated. The chart offers a stark visualization of the cross-contamination of coerced evidence. For more information please visit www.humanrightsfirst.org.