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Preliminary Statement on the Hoffman Report

Read the statement (pdf)

In July 2015, former federal prosecutor David Hoffman conducted an investigation into the role of the American Psychological Association (APA) in the U.S. torture program and issued a 542-page report.

The Hoffman report confirms what critics have long charged: the APA colluded with the Department of Defense (DoD), and to a lesser extent the CIA, in connection with the post-9/11 torture program. The APA aligned its ethics policies with DoD guidelines in order to protect the involvement of psychologists in abusive interrogations. APA officials also advised the CIA on certain torture practices and helped shield the torture program from ethical challenges. The Hoffman report details the failure of a health professional association to uphold its values. Instead of serving as a safeguard against human rights violations, the APA colluded with the government to create ethics policies designed to permit detainee torture and other violations.

PHR’s statement outlines key findings of the Hoffman report and provides recommendations for accountability, policy reform, and justice.

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