January 4, 2009

Veterans For Peace: Ban Torture Campaign


Voices of Torture
Perspectives From a Witness and a Survivor




7:00pm 
Friday, January 9, 2009

The Ethical Society in St. Louis, MO

Join us for an evening that will awaken your conscience.
Hear firsthand accounts of what torture is, how it affects the lives of its victims, and learn why torture is never the answer.


James "Yusof" Yee & Demissie Abebe


James “Yusuf” Yee was a former U.S. Army chaplain who ministered to Muslim detainees at Guantanamo Bay and witnessed firsthand the cruel and abusive treatment of detainees. He was detained and charged by the US government for several serious crimes, including aiding the enemy, spying, and espionage. During this time he was subject to the same kind of interrogation techniques he witnessed at Guantanamo Bay. The case fell apart due to a lack of evidence, and all of these charges were eventually dropped. Yee wrote a book, “For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire,” in which he describes his experiences and is critical of the government’s abusive treatment of detainees.
Read his full bio at www.justiceforyee.com
Demissie Abebe currently serves as the executive director of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International and is the survival of torture in Ethiopia. He was severely tortured after he tried to expose corruption in an agency responsible for development and assistance to the poor.

We are also inviting a legal expert on torture issues for the final portion of our event. He will participate with James Yee and Demissie Abebe in an informal dissussion about torture. The expert will provide an additional opinion to round out the discussion. After some brief introductory thoughts by the legal expert, we will move into a Q&A session that will be a mix of audience and moderator questions. The event will be moderated by Michael McPhearson, the Executive Director of Veterans For Peace.

Also Sponsored by:
Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International-St. Louis
The Center for Theology and Social Analysis
Military Families Speak Out-Midwest Chapter 
The Ethical Action Committee of the Ethical Society
The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International

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