Priests Imprisoned for Five Months in Torture Protest

Fr. Louis Vitale, OFM, (75) and Fr. Stephen Kelly, SJ (54) today were sentenced to five months in prison for attempting to deliver a letter to then-commander Major General Barbara Fast at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, denouncing torture and the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Today is the first anniversary of the signing of the Military Commissions Act.

The priests were represented by human rights attorney Bill Quigley. At the beginning of the hearing, the men had changed their pleas to no contest, and later told the court they could not accept any sentence that included supervision, a fine, or compulsory community service. They were taken into custody immediately after sentencing.

In a statement read to supporters who gathered outside the courthouse and then filled the courtroom of Magistrate Hector Estrada, Frs. Vitale & Kelly declared:

"The real crime here has always been the teaching of torture at Fort Huachuca and the practice of torture around the world. We sought to deliver a letter asking that the teaching of torture be stopped and were arrested. We tried to put the evidence of torture on full and honest display in the courthouse and were denied. We were prepared to put on evidence about the widespread use of torture and human rights abuses committed during interrogations at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo in Iraq and Afghanistan. This evidence was gathered by the military itself and by governmental and human rights investigations. Because the court will not allow the truth of torture to be a part of our trial, we plead no contest. We are uninterested in a court hearing limited to who was walking where and how many steps it was to the gate. History will judge whether silencing the facts of torture is just or not. Far too many people have died because of our national silence about torture. Far too many of our young people in the military have been permanently damaged after following orders to torture and violate the human rights of other humans. We will keep trying to stop the teaching and practice of torture whether we are sent to jail or out. We have done our part. Now it is up to every woman and man of conscience to do their part to stop the injustice of torture."

Following their arrest in November, 2006, the men were charged with one federal count of trespass (USC 18-1382), and later with an additional Arizona state count of "Failure to Comply with Police Officer" (ARS 28-622). Their sentence is three months in prison for the federal conviction, plus two months for the state conviction, to be served consecutively.

After court, a dozen supporters drove to Sierra Vista, Arizona, to hold signs and banners opposing torture outside the main gate of Ft. Huachuca.

On November 18, in solidarity with the School of the Americas Watch vigil and protest at Ft. Benning Georgia, hundreds of people from around the country will gather at Fort Huachuca to continue the nonviolent witness against U.S. policy sanctioning torture.

For more information, visit http://TortureOnTrial.org.