By Debra Erdley

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 9:52 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

John Kiriakou, a New Castle native and former CIA operative who blew the whistle on the use of waterboarding as torture in 2007, was honored Tuesday in Washington with the 2012 Joseph A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage.

The award, established in 1990 and given by the Nader Trust for Community Interest, recognizes individuals who act with integrity despite personal risk for common good.

Kiriakou was charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for disclosing the identity of a fellow operative in a separate incident. Last month, he pleaded guilty to one count of violating the law and will serve 30 months in prison.

“For John this is bittersweet. It comes for him at an extremely high price,” said Jesselyn Radack, director of national security and human rights for the Government Accountability Project.

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