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Guantanamo Military Commissions Deplored By Amnesty International
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by Barbara McPherson | May 15, 2009 at 09:38 am
179 views | 68 Recommendations | 4 comments
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Amnesty International has added its voice to the condemnation of the return to military commissions to deal with the 'detainees' at Guantanamo prison camp. It looks from the outside, as if President Obama is bowing to military pressure to keep the prisoners from having a fair hearing. If these men, some of whom have been held for over seven years without charge are guilty of something, then let the judicial system deal with it. We have seen in recent months an unfolding tale of torture and secret detentions perpetrated by some of the US military. A bright light needs to be shone into the black prisons. It is time to work effectively to close these prisons.
President Barack Obama would be "short-changing justice" if he revives the military commissions to try Guantánamo detainees, Amnesty International has said.
"You cannot revamp a system that is, in essence, unfair," said Rob Freer, US Researcher at Amnesty International. "The US has a functioning civilian criminal justice system that is used to dealing with complex trials. This is the system that the US administration should be using for any Guantánamo detainee it decides to prosecute."
Amnesty International has been calling on the new US administration to abandon the military commissions, withdraw all charges under the Military Commissions Act (legislation which, as a Senator, Barack Obama, voted against) and to transfer to the US mainland any Guantánamo detainee who is to be charged.
These detainees should be brought before a civilian judicial authority, and promptly charge him with specific offences under applicable federal law.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 10:47 on May 15th, 2009
Sadly, the misuse, abuse and torture of those held at Guantanamo Bay has created a circumstance where those who may not have been dangerous or a threat have possibly now been radicalized, due to their mistreatment.
That is the crop that now must be harvested from the corrupted seeds planted for 7 years.
at 15:24 on May 15th, 2009
I agree Karen, but your type of reasoning, sound logic, is not popular in this country of fearmongers and warmongers.
They'll turn innocent people into terrorists and say "See, we told you!"
at 11:52 on May 15th, 2009
Thanks for posting this for us Barbara.
at 13:28 on May 15th, 2009
That place should be closed and the prisoners either tried as criminals or treated as POWs.