SSCI Torture Report
56 Articles

The Just Security Podcast: Counterterrorism and Human Rights (Part I Root Causes, Guantanamo, and Northeast Syria)
Perhaps no one is better equipped to consider the impact of counterterrorism on human rights than Fionnuala Ní Aoláin. This is Part 1 of a special two-part conversation.

Rehabilitation for Torture at Guantanamo is a Moral and Legal Imperative
To be an effective leader, the United States must honor its commitments under the Convention Against Torture.

Uncertain Future for the ICC’s Investigation into the CIA Torture Program
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has "deprioritized" investigation of CIA torture in Afghanistan. But Julian Elderfield, a former attorney in the OTP, says the stated reasons for…

A Torture Survivor Speaks at the Guantanamo Military Commissions
Majid Khan described his torture by the United States for the first time in a case that also shows how plea agreements are the only realistic path for those charged in Guantanamo…

Nuremberg Prosecutor says Guantanamo Military Commissions Don’t Measure Up
In an upcoming filing, the last living Nuremberg prosecutor, Benjamin B. Ferencz, says there is "very limited comparison" between the Guantanamo military commissions and the Nuremberg…

State Secrets and the Torture of Abu Zubaydah
More than any case to have reached the Supreme Court, Abu Zubaydah’s case demonstrates the need to carefully scrutinize what information the Executive Branch can legitimately…

Stopping Torture: Why Professional Governance Failed, and How It Can Do Better
Professionals -- psychologists, physicians, lawyers -- played key parts in enabling post-9/11 torture programs. Yet professionalism can also constrain state power. Gregg Bloche…

How to Fix the U.S. Litigation Position in Key Pending Cases
The Biden administration has the opportunity, and responsibility, to disavow the Trump administration’s dangerous litigation positions and the ideologies they reflect in these…

U.S.-ICC Relations Under a Biden Administration: Room to Be Bold
The Trump administration approached the ICC with open and unproductive hostility. Can Biden reset relations? Kip Hale says yes: first, remove sanctions. Second, investigate and…

On Accountability and the Next Presidency, Starting With the Cabinet
To truly “Build Back Better,” as Biden promised, he must not nominate, appoint, or otherwise hire anyone for his administration who has seriously abused power.

The “Interests of Justice” at the ICC: A Continuing Mystery
David Luban explains how the ICC Appeals Chamber missed an opportunity to clarify what "interests of justice" the Prosecutor must consider in authorizing an investigation in the…

The Diplomats Speak: More Opposition to Gina Haspel’s Nomination to Head the CIA
Above: CIA headquarters. An august group of 115 retired diplomats have now circulated their own letter (reproduced below) in opposition to the nomination of Gina Haspel to lead…