CCR Factsheets and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are in-depth, conceptual looks at cases, issues and policies. The resources cover a variety of areas, and aim to move beyond the boundaries of specific cases to address some of the root issues and causes. Most Factsheets and FAQs are also available to download as pdf's so that they can be easily printed and distributed.
This list can be ordered by date or name, and filtered by the issues to which the Factsheet relates.
In 2002, Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was detained at a U.S. airport on his way home from a family trip. He was interrogated by U.S. officials about alleged links to al-Qaeda and was…
On November 10, 1995, nine Ogoni leaders (the “Ogoni 9”) were executed by the Nigerian government after being falsely accused of murder and tried by a specially created military tribunal. Those executed included world…
On April 18, 1996, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shelled a United Nations (UN) compound in Qana, Lebanon, killing over 100 civilians and wounding hundred more. Approximately 800 civilians has sought refuge in the compound…
Petitioners in Al Odah argue that the precedent set by the Supreme Court itself in Rasul v. Bush in 2004 precludes the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ conclusion that Guantanamo detainees have no common law…
Could Rosa Parks, who was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 for violating segregation laws by sitting in the white-only section of a bus and refusing to move, be considered a “homegrown terrorist” by the…
In November 2006, Congress passed and the President signed into law the AETA. Proponents of the bill, including animal-exploiting industry groups, corporations and the politicians that represent them, pushed for the passage of AETA…
Since the first habeas corpus petition for detainees was filed on February 19, 2002, CCR has helped coordinate a movement of over 500 pro bono attorneys who have filed habeas petitions for more than…
Q: Why should we lower the rates? If people in prison don’t want expensive calls, they should not break the law. A: People in prison do not pay for the collect calls. That burden falls to…
In the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which the United States ratified in 1994, torture is defined as "any act by which severe pain or suffering,…
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE REFUGEE CRISIS AT GUANTÁNAMO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION 1. How many men detained in Guantánamo cannot safely return to their home countries? The total number of prisoners known to fear return…
Post-9/11, the Bush administration has expanded the use of the state secrets privilege (SSP) to withhold evidence and dismiss cases that challenge the administration in U.S. courts. In doing so, the Bush administration is threatening…
On November 13, 2001, President Bush issued an executive order which purported to establish military commissions to try those captured in the “War on Terror.” Under the order, the President authorized trials by military commission upon a presidential…
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) is a massive legislative assault on fundamental rights, including the right to habeas corpus – the right to challenge one’s detention in a court of law. Signed into…
Habeas corpus, or the Great Writ, is the legal procedure that keeps the government from holding you indefinitely without showing cause. When you challenge your detention by filing a habeas corpus petition, the executive branch…
Soon after September 11, reports began appearing that people were being picked up around the world and held by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). These people weren’t being held by their own countries’ intelligence or…
Since its occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem following the 1967 war, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has destroyed more than 18,000 Palestinian homes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).…
Since 1999, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has been fighting on the ground and in the courts to end the exploitative telephone contract between New York State and MCI/Verizon which charged family members 630…
The Alien Tort Statute
Material support refers to types of humanitarian and First Amendment activity that have been criminalized by the U.S. government. Both pre-and post-9/11, statutory restrictions were placed on providing support, including humanitarian aid, expert advice, and…
The principle of universal jurisdiction allows the national authorities of any state to investigate and prosecute people for serious international crimes even if they were committed in another country. For example, this means that the…
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