Human Rights First Responds to Reports that Powell, Ambassadors Not Initially Told of Torture Program

Washington, D.C. – Human Rights First today responded to reports that details of interrogation practices, which amounted to torture, used in interrogating terrorism suspects were withheld from then-Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as some U.S. ambassadors.

“Today’s report that former Secretary of State Colin Powell was initially kept in the dark about the CIA’s torture program underscores the need for the Senate Intelligence Committee to release its report on torture with minimal redactions. Americans deserve to know the extent to which the torture program was known and condoned throughout the government,” said Human Rights First’s Raha Wala. “Once the full story is out, our elected officials should double down on efforts to ensure that our country never again uses brutal interrogation methods that make us less safe and undermine our core principles.”

For more information or to speak with Wala, contact Brenda Bowser Soder at [email protected] or 202-370-3323.