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Former Gov. George Ryan defended his decision to grant clemency to Illinois’ death row inmates in an appearance Wednesday on the Oprah Winfrey show that also featured three of the men he pardoned.

Aaron Patterson, Madison Hobley and Leroy Orange all shook Ryan’s hand as they stepped onto the stage for the show, which was broadcast live in Chicago. A fourth man pardoned by Ryan, Stanley Howard, remains in prison on an unrelated charge.

The newly freed men discussed former Chicago police Lt. Jon Burge and the torture they say they experienced while in custody at Area 2 police headquarters. Patterson said he plans to file a human rights complaint.

``The only evidence that there were against these four people were obtained through brutal beatings, electrocutions and suffocations,’’ Ryan said.

Ryan also stressed that he believes the men are innocent.

``I wouldn’t have done it any other way if I didn’t think they were innocent,’’ Ryan said.

The Republican, who left office Monday after one term in office, also defended his decision to commute the sentences of 167 death row inmates to life in prison.

``To be safe ... the only solution was to give everybody clemency,’’ he said.

However, Ryan also said, ``There is no question about it, we took guilty people off death row and put them into the general population. And that’s what I think most people don’t understand. These people are not going to be on the streets. They are going to be in jail for the rest of their lives.’’

Ryan added, ``We took them off death row because I couldn’t tell if you were guilty or if she was guilty or innocent.’’

When Winfrey asked all of the former inmates if they felt free, Orange replied that he did not.

``I feel physically free but mentally, spiritually I don’t care for the accusations that this man did the wrong thing,’’ Orange said of Ryan. ``In spite of the statistics, it appears as if people are saying some are innocent but kill them all and we’ll get the right one.’’

Hobley said he always knew he would some day be freed.

``You can’t hide from the truth,’’ he said, ``I knew the truth would prevail.’’ In a taped segment of the show, Winfrey interviewed several members of murder victims families, who expressed their frustration with Ryan’s decision.

Ollie Dodd, whose daughter was killed in the fire in which Hobley was charged, said she is convinced Hobley is guilty.

``He took the life of my daughter,’’ Dodd said. ``He set that building on fire.’’

Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press