From Guantanamo to The Hague: Accountability for U.S. Torture

From the Center for Constitutional Rights:

Date 

Monday, November 25, 2019 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Location 

2 Court Square

CUNY School of Law

Long Island City, NY 11101

In 2017, the Prosecution of the International Criminal Court (ICC), filed a request to open an investigation into alleged crimes in and related to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, including those of U.S. officials through the Bush-era torture program. In April 2019, the Pre-Trial Chamber rejected the request. That decision followed a sustained campaign by the Trump administration against the ICC, including the administration revoking the visa of the ICC Prosecutor, threatening the visas of other ICC staff members, and promising economic sanctions.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which serves as legal representative for two men who remain detained at Guantánamo – Guled Hassan Duran and Sharqawi Al Hajj – in the proceedings, joined other victims of the US torture program, crimes by the Taliban and crimes by Afghan forces, as well as the Prosecutor in appealing that decision. The Appeals Chamber has set a hearing for December 4-6, 2019 in The Hague. The panel will feature a discussion among legal representatives for victims and experts who filed amicus briefs in the proceedings on why this case is before the ICC, what are the key legal issues before the Court, and whether U.S. officials might be held accountable at the International Criminal Court.

Event Schedule

Opening Remarks: Aisha Watson, CUNY Human Rights & Gender Justice Clinic Law Student

Panel discussion:

Katherine Gallagher, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights & Visiting Clinical Professor at CUNY School of Law
Gabor Rona, Professor of Practice, Cardozo Law School
Jennifer Trahan, Clinical Professor, NYU Center for Global Affairs



Moderator: Nikki Reisch, Adjunct Professor, CUNY School of Law



Closing Remarks: Hina Naveed, CUNY Human Rights & Gender Justice Clinic Law Student

** There will be a reception following the panel**

The event is sponsored by: CUNY Law School Human Rights & Gender Justice Clinic and Sorensen Center, in collaboration with the Center for Constitutional Rights and the NYU Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.

For more information on the proceedings at the ICC, visit our case page.