Maher Arar is appealing his torture suit to the U.S. Supreme Court, presenting the justices an opportunity to review the controversial "state secrets" privilege asserted by the Bush and Obama administrations. Arar's suit against the United States government stems from his 2002 arrest in New York and transfer to Syria for alleged ties to terrorism. At a prison in Syria, Arar alleges, he was tortured, interrogated and detained for almost a year.
Arar (pictured at right) is a Canadian citizen who successfully sued his government for its role in misinforming the United States about his ties to terrorism. In lower courts here, though, Arar has been rebuffed. The government's assertion of the "state secrets" privilege has barred Arar from presenting evidence necessary to the advancement of his suit.
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which is representing Arar and filed his petition for certiorari yesterday, has a collection of resources on the case here. ACS also has a wealth of resources, including Issue Briefs on the "state secrets" privilege and the U.S. ban on torture by Prof. Amanda Frost and Devon Chaffee, respectively. ACS also hosted Prof. David Cole, who is working with CCR on the case, as part of a national security and human rights symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. last fall. Video of that event is available here.
[Image via CBC.]
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