German Prosecutor Dismisses Torture Case Against Rumsfeld
The torture case charges against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonazales, George Tenet and others have been dropped, at the request of the prosecutor.
In her decision, German Federal Prosecutor Monika Harms argued that the case does not confront crimes committed on German soil, nor involve victims or perpetrators with ties to Germany. Harms also stated that the investigation does not have a reasonable chance of succeeding.
The case was filed in Germany because of the country's obligation under the German law of universal jurisdiction to try cases that deal with torture and other serious crimes, regardless of where the crime took place or what the nationality of the victims or perpetrators.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the case, says:
"Fundamentally, this is a political and not a legal decision," said CCR President Michael Ratner. "We will continue to pursue Rumsfeld, (U.S. Attorney General Alberto) Gonzales, and the others in the future -- they should not feel they can travel outside the United States without risk. Our goal is no safe haven for torturers."
The case may be refiled in Spain.
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