CVT Outraged That Senate Intelligence Committee Approves Torturer to Head CIA

ST. PAUL, Minn. & WASHINGTON — Outraged that the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) today approved Gina Haspel’s nomination to CIA director, the Center for Victims of Torture^TM (CVT) called on the full Senate to stand with millions of torture survivors around the world by voting “no” on Ms. Haspel’s confirmation when the question is put before all Senators in the coming days.

“Committee members who voted for Ms. Haspel, and those who have announced their support, will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Ms. Haspel was deeply complicit in torture, deeply complicit in covering it up, and to this day remains personally responsible for the near-total secrecy that surrounds her background, including refusing to release information that we know is damaging to her nomination. Her unwillingness even to say that the brutal torture the CIA perpetrated was immoral is nothing short of reprehensible.”

“Most senators still have the chance to stand with approximately 1.3 million torture survivors living in the United States and millions more worldwide, with 109 retired military leaders and 115 former ambassadors, with faith leaders, elected officials and others in rejecting torture by voting no on Ms. Haspel’s confirmation. We urge them to make their voices heard; to state loudly and clearly that there must be at least some measure of accountability for the unspeakable horrors in which Ms. Haspel participated.”   

— Curt Goering, CVT executive director

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The Center for Victims of Torture is a nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Paul, MN, with offices in Atlanta, GA, and Washington, D.C.; and healing initiatives in Africa

and the Middle East. Visit www.cvt.org