Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., filed a brief on behalf of himself and two other members of Congress on Wednesday in a closely watched human rights case testing whether foreign torture victims can seek damages in U.S. courts. The case, which will be argued at the Supreme Court on March 3, is Samantar v. Yousuf, a dispute over the meaning of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991, which Specter sponsored.
In passing the law, Specter asserted in the brief, Congress intended “to provide redress for egregious acts that infringe human rights and are an affront to human dignity.” Joining Specter on the brief were Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas.
