Arar, a naturalized Canadian citizenship born in Syria, was seized by American officials in September 2002 and sent to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured both physically and psychologically. Arar was finally released a year after he was seized in New York, never having been charged with any crime. Before the rendition, Arar had lived for two years in Framingham, Massachusetts in Rep. Markey’s congressional district.

“The barbaric and illegal practice of sending people overseas to be tortured is simply unacceptable and un-American, and it undermines our efforts in the global fight against terrorists. Unfortunately, while Maher Arar’s case is the most well-known extraordinary rendition, he is not the only one. It is my hope that today’s hearing and the movie opening tomorrow will raise awareness among members of Congress and the American public that extraordinary renditions must end,” said Rep. Markey.

In 2006, in an attempt to force the Republican-controlled Congress to look into the Maher Arar case, Rep. Markey introduced five separate Resolutions of Inquiry requesting copies of all documents in the possession of the United States government that related, in any way, to Arar.

Rep. Markey, a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, has also authored the Torture Outsourcing Prevention, H.R. 1352, which would explicitly bar the transfer of individuals in custody or control of the U.S. government or contractors to any country known for the use of torture, regardless of an individual’s citizenship or location of seizure.

“After today’s hearing, Congress should continue to probe the Bush administration’s use of extraordinary rendition, which has largely occurred in the shadows. This is a disgusting practice that brings dishonor to the United States of America, and ultimately endangers our troops in the field by validating the use of torture all over the world,” concluded Rep. Markey.