No right to remedy for victims of torture

Today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a disappointing decision dismissing the case Mohamed et al. v Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc. Jeppesen, a subsidiary of Boeing, is reported to have worked with the Bush Administration to carry out the extraordinary renditions of five individuals to torture in U.S.-operated facilities.

By dismissing the case, the Court has effectively refused to allow these alleged victims of torture any recourse to remedy. It has held that the U.S. government’s assertion of the state secret privilege will prevent these alleged victims from ever having their day in court. The decision is in conflict with U.S. legal obligations to provide effective remedy to victims of torture under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).