Yesterday, senior staff attorney Rachel Meeropol argued our case Ziglar v. Abbasi before the Supreme Court. By all accounts, it was a masterful presentation, expertly parrying the justices’ questions and keeping the rapt attention of all who were in the courtroom that day. Abbasi (formerly Turkmen v. Ashcroft) seeks to hold high-level Bush administration officials, including John Ashcroft, accountable for their role in the round up, detention, and abuse of Muslim noncitizens after 9/11.

Also that morning, the New York Daily News ran an op-ed by our client Ahmer Abbasi. Ahmer describes the harrowing experience of his detention and mistreatment, and writes, “At a time when the incoming President has promised to profile Muslim immigrants like me, the idea that government officials should be able to do what they did to me and so many others without consequences is terrifying.”

When the argument ended, the CCR team emerged from the court, and Rachel, CCR legal director Baher Azmy, and CCR client Benamar Benatta spoke to the press on the steps of the court. Rachel powerfully animated for reporters what’s at stake in this case, and Benamar movingly spoke about how gratified he was to be in the courtroom after 15 long years. 

Press coverage included the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, USA Today, Courthouse News, SCOTUS Blog,ColorLines, The Hill, and others.

Supporters on the Supreme Court steps during the rally Photo credit: Justin Norman/ShriekingTree.com	Members of Witness Against Torture, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms joined the rally before the oral arguments Photo credit: Justin Norman/ShriekingTree.com	Rachel Meeropol, Baher Azmy, and Benamar Benatta come down the steps of the Supreme Court
CCR client Benamar Benatta	Baher Azmy, Rachel Meeropol, and Benamar Benatta at the press conference	The CCR team after the arguments