Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 13:18:04 -0500
Subject: Shut down Guantanamo Bay prison and secret prisons 


17 June 2005

Senator Edward Kennedy
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001

Senator John Kerry
United States Senate
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001

Representative Michael Capuano
United States House of Representatives
1530 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

I urge you to cut off all funds for the
Guantanamo Bay prison, for secret government-funded prisons around the
globe and for sending people to foreign countries that torture people.
It is time to hold the government accountable by stopping these
practices and halting funding for such acts.

FBI agents have reported government-funded abuse of prisoners in
Guantanamo Bay, including persons "chained hand and foot in a
fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food, or water...for 18,
24 hours or more."

Funding should be stopped for Guantanamo Bay prison and secret
government-funded prisons where these abusive practices are likely to
occur.

Congress should also ensure that all prisoners get basic protections
including humane treatment, unconditional access to a lawyer and a
court, the right to know the government's charges against them, and a
meaningful right to prove their innocence.

The government should not be able to transfer prisoners to foreign
governments that torture people.  Prisoners are being flown by the CIA
to countries such as Syria and Egypt where they are tortured --
typically without any criminal charge or any useful information being
obtained.  The government has even kidnapped a Canadian citizen in New
York, flown him to Syria where he was tortured for nine months, and
then released him -- without ever charging him with any crime.

Some prisoners are being held in complete secrecy.  The government
continues to hold these "ghost detainees" in secret prisons
around the globe.  These prisons were created after President Bush
signed a secret presidential order based on a secret memorandum
scheming to keep prisoners off prison rolls and outside the reach of
the Red Cross.

Once again, I urge you to cut off all funds for the Guantanamo Bay
prison, for secret government-funded prisons around the globe and for
sending people to foreign countries that torture them.  I furthermore
urge you to ensure that all prisoners get basic protections such as
humane treatment, unconditional access to a lawyer and a court, the
right to know the government's charges against them and a meaningful
chance to prove their innocence.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Sincerely,

Matthew Belmonte
[address]