WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) called for a full accounting of the U.S. policy of extraordinary rendition, in anticipation of the release of an official Canadian investigation into the case of Maher Arar.

“Extraordinary rendition is simply the outsourcing of torture, and this repugnant practice must be stopped in the United States, in Canada, and everywhere it is used,” Rep. Markey said.  “It took a Supreme Court ruling to force the Bush Administration to finally acknowledge the existence of secret incarcerations in black sites overseas-- now the time has come to admit the secret interrogations carried out by proxy in countries known to use torture.  I look forward to the release of the Canadian Commission’s report, which could prove to be a crucial tool for the world to understand the actions of the Canadian and U.S. governments in relation to the horrific experiences suffered by Maher Arar and others.”

During a layover in New York’s JFK airport in September 2002, Canadian citizen Maher Arar was seized by American officials and questioned for two weeks.  He was then transferred to Syria, where he claims to have been tortured, abused, and forced to make false statements.  Mr. Arar was released after 10 months in Syrian prison, and has never been charged with any crime.  The Canadian government has formed the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar to investigate the behavior of Canadian officials in this case, and the Commission’s report is expected to be released next week.

Rep. Markey continued, “Canada has taken a promising first step in investigating the role of its government in the so-called ‘extraordinary rendition’ of Maher Arar.  The Canadian investigation is an important development that hopefully will focus additional attention on the critical legal and ethical issues involved in transferring people to some of the world’s most notorious human rights abusers for interrogation.”

“The United States is not alone when it outsources the torture of detainees -- it needs the cooperation of not only the torturing country, but of other countries as well,” Rep. Markey said.  “What other countries have participated in or assisted this unconscionable program?  We must have answers.”

“Unfortunately, the United States Congress has so far failed to conduct any real oversight over the role that the U.S. government has played in such transfers.   We need hearings on the U.S. practice of extraordinary rendition to examine whether the actions of the U.S. government in the Arar case -- and others like it -- are consistent with the Convention Against Torture, which bars the transfer or rendition of any person to a country that is likely to subject them to torture or other cruel or degrading treatment,” Rep. Markey concluded.

Rep. Markey long has been a critic of the practice of extraordinary rendition.  He is the author of H.R. 952, the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act, which would outlaw the use of extraordinary rendition as well as the use of so-called “diplomatic assurances” as the basis for transfers of persons to known human rights violators.  In June 2006, Rep. Markey successfully amended the Defense Appropriations bill to bar the use of any funds in contravention of United States’ commitments under the Geneva Conventions.  That amendment currently awaits further action in the U.S. Senate.