Red Cross access to detainees

We recognize access to prisoners by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a fundamental right of international law and a human right. The New Evangelical Partnership has been involved in issues around torture and detainee treatment since its inception, and is a partner with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. David Gushee and Richard Cizik were instrumental in the authoring and adoption of the Evangelical Declaration Against Torture by the National Association of Evangelicals.

We have learned that later this week the House of Representatives is very likely to vote this week on an amendment to the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that would require government agencies to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with access to all detainees. The President provided the ICRC with access to all detainees in his executive order on interrogations, but that provision will not be permanent until Congress passes it into law.