The Black Hole of Guantanamo ; Tribunals Are a Travesty of Justice

Summary

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Although a federal judge has declared a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay trying a detainee incompetent because it fails to decide the legal protections due the defendant under the Geneva Convention, a separate set of hearings for many of the detainees is continuing there. These too are being vigorously challenged in the courts as contrary to a June Supreme Court decision that these prisoners are entitled to due process and basic fairness.

Recently, Jameel Jaffer, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, returned from observing this other series of hearings, the Combat Status Review Tribunals (CSRT), which are set up to determine whether the hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay are being lawfully held in the first place. Mr. Jaffer concluded, as have even some of the military defense lawyers who have previously submitted briefs to the Supreme Court, that they are defying a June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that these prisoners must get due process in the simplest terms and basic fairness.

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Extract

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The Black Hole of Guantanamo ; Tribunals Are a Travesty of Justice

In the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling, the court wrote that these alleged unlawful enemy combatants are entitled "no less than American citizens" to challenge the evidence against them, among other rights.

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