Media Advisory for Wednesday, May 9th at 2:00 p.m. ET: PRESS BRIEFING: Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Barbara Lee, The Center for Victims of Torture on Opposing Nomination of Gina Haspel to Lead the CIA

WASHINGTON — Immediately following the Senate confirmation hearing of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA, The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) in conjunction with Senator Tina Smith (MN) and Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), will host a press briefing to address why Gina Haspel’s record on torture and the destruction of videotapes documenting the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation program” disqualifies her from running the CIA. Also joining at the briefing will be members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, faith leaders, torture survivors and advocates.  

**BRIEFING DETAILS**

WHAT: Press briefing to address why nominee Gina Haspel’s record on torture disqualifies her from leading the CIA. The briefing will be held immediately following the nomination hearing.

WHO: Senator Tina Smith, Representative Barbara Lee, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, faith leaders, torture survivors, human rights advocates

Additional speakers include:

Rep. Hank Johnson, 4^th Congressional District of Georgia; Chris Anders, Deputy Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Léonce Byimana, Torture survivor and Executive Director, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition; Yasmine Taeb, Senior Policy Counsel, The Center for Victims of Torture; Rev. Ron Steif, Executive Director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture; Nihad Awad, National Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations; Aliya Hana Hussain, Advocacy Program Manager, Center for Constitutional Rights; Elizabeth Beavers, Associate Policy Director, Indivisible; Jim Cason, Legislative Director for Foreign Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation; Laura Peralta-Schulte, Senior Government Relations Advocate, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Stephen Miles, Director, Win Without War; Alli McCracken, North America Campaigner, Amnesty International; and Jason Miller, Director of Campaign and Development, Franciscan Action Network.  

   
WHEN: Wednesday, May 9 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

WHERE: Senate Swamp

Co-sponsoring organizations: Friends Committee on National Legislation, Win Without War, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Indivisible, Franciscan Action Network, MoveOn, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, CODEPINK, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Defending Rights & Dissent, RootsAction.org, Center for Constitutional Rights, Conference of Superiors of Men (Catholic), Council on American-Islamic Relations, Poligon Education Fund, Amnesty International USA, Common Defense, Nonviolence International, Justice for Muslims Collective, Witness Against Torture        

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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