Posted by CODEPINK Staff
John Kiriakou remains the only person from the Bush Administration era to have been incarcerated, or even tried, over issues of torture. His crime? Blowing the whistle on it.
In 2012 the Obama Administration brought charges against Mr. Kiriakou because of his conversations with journalists about US torture and his supposed disclosure of an undercover agent.
Since entering prison, Mr. Kiriakou has released a series of letters detailing his conditions and thoughts. Now he needs your help! Nine months into his 30-month sentence, Mr. Kiriakou is seeking to be granted at least nine months in a halfway house so that he may "resume productive contributions to society."
He has put a call out to all supporters to help him push for a halfway house transfer by writting letters to the Bureau of Prisons residential reentry director, Erlinda Hernandez, and Federal Bureau of Prisons director Charles Samuels. Let's make sure he knows that the peace community supports him.
Below is a sample letter (copied from the Fayetteville, NC Quaker House) and the addresses of Ms. Hernandez and Mr. Samuels. Please take five minutes of your day for someone who gave up 30 months to spread the truth!
Mr. Charles Samuels, Director
Bureau of Prisons Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St., NW,
Washington, DC 20534
Erlinda Hernandez
Bureau of Prisons
Residential Reentry Office
P.O. Box 7000
Butner, NC 27509
Dear Mr. Samuels / Ms. Hernandez,
I am writting to ask that you grant inmate John C. Kiriakou 79637-083 at least nine months of halfway house time so that he may resume productive contributions to society. He should not be in prison.
Mr. Kiriakou, a former CIA intelligence analyst, earned numerous commendations in nearly 15 years at the CIA some of which were spent undercover overseas chasing Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. He received 12 CIA Exceptional Performance Awards, the Sustained Superiour Performance Award, the Counterterrorism Service Medal, and the State Department's Meritorious Honor Award with medal.
In 2008, Mr. Kiriakou confirmed the name of a former CIA colleague to a reporter writting a book on the Agency. The name was never made public and Mr. Kiriakou, under threat of more severe terms and financial ruin, pled guilty to violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
John Kiriakou is an anti-torture whistle blower who was brave enough to speak out against torture, which is against our country's principles. Article 2 of the UN Convention Against Torture states: "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture." Mr. Kiriakou never tortured anyone yet he is the only person to be prosecuted in relation to the torture program of the Busth Administration.
We believe that Mr. Kiriakou is an honorable and patriotic American. He does not deserve to be made an example of wrong doing. We ask that he be granted at least nine months of halfway house time so that he may begin his life again as a valuable member of society and as a father to his five children.
Thank you for your attention to this message,
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