US Torture Victim Takes Case to International Human Rights Tribunalselfnews Post The petition was filed by Padillas mother, Estela Lebron, on her own and on her sons behalf. Padilla and Lebron had previously filed federal lawsuits since dismissed against current and former government officials for their roles in Padillas torture and other abuse. The petition is an international complaint asking the IACHR, which is an independent human rights body of the Organization of American States, to conduct a full investigation into the human rights violations suffered by Padilla; to find that his mistreatment violated the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; and to recommend that the United States publicly acknowledge the violations and apologize for its unlawful conduct. The U.S. justice system denied a day in court to a U.S. citizen who was arrested and then tortured on U.S. soil by his own government, said Steven Watt, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Human Rights Program. The U.S. has historically been a leader in ensuring access to justice for human rights violations around the world, but it has effectively closed the courtroom door to all victims and survivors of the Bush administrations torture regime. Denied redress in U.S. courts, torture survivors like Padilla are now left with no choice but to turn to international justice. For more than a decade, Estela Lebron has lived with the terrible knowledge that her own government tortured her son, but there has never been any official acknowledgement, let alone an apology, said Alaina Varvaloucas, a student with Yales Lowenstein Clinic who worked on preparing the petition. The pain and indignity of that betrayal continue to this day. For the first 21 months of his captivity, Padilla was held incommunicado, without access to lawyers and his family. No human being deserves what happened to our family, and I will continue to work for my son and for justice as long as Im breathing. As a mother, I want to be sure this never happens to anyone else, said Lebron. This petition may be my last chance. Todays petition filed with the IACHR is available at: Source: ACLU Press Release Read other selfnews Post Articles and Announcements HERE 