U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court Rejects CIA Detention Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to grant review in a case that challenges the CIA’s “extraordinary renditions” program, in which it sends detainees abroad for harsh questioning, SCOTUSblog reports.
Khaled el-Masri has been unable to get a court hearing because the government has invoked the state secrets privilege to bar his legal claim. His suit says his detention and torture were a case of mistaken identity, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was released after five months in custody.
The privilege is based on a 1953 case, United States v. Reynolds, which blocked a lawsuit over the crash of a B-29 bomber. The Bush administration has used the privilege to dismiss lawsuits involving wiretapping and whistle-blowers, the Times says.
