Counter Terror With Justice - Update
Amnesty International had cause to celebrate last week, as the United States Supreme Court made a "decision [that grants detainees at Guantánamo Bay] the right to challenge their detention in civilian courts, meaning that federal judges will now have the power to check the government’s claims that the 270 men still held there are dangerous terrorists. That will force officials to answer questions about evidence that they have long deflected despite international criticism and expressions of support, from President Bush on down, for closing the camp", according to the New York Times.
Amnesty International has long called for Guantanamo's closing; the organization's 'Counter Terror with Justice' initiative has held up the facility as a symbol of government failures to balance protecting the rights of persons threatened by terrorism with ensuring that the protection of security does not undermine other fundamental human rights. The US Supreme Court announcement is a small but important step toward restoring the balance between both of those important responsibilities incumbant on a state.
As part of their campaign, Amnesty International posted two short video interviews online: an interview with Malcolm Wrightson Nance, former terrorism adviser to the US Government; and clips from a discussion with former Guantánamo captive Murat Kurnaz, who was arrested in Pakistan in 2001 and held in US Custody in Afghanistan and at Guantánamo.
- Amnesty International US is calling on US resident's to follow the Supreme Court decision with a call for their Congress to go even further, stating that "the Supreme Court’s decision is limited. It will not close Guantánamo. Nor will it guarantee detainees a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal; the military commissions regime remains in place."
Read this site's previous post on Amnesty International's 'Counter Terror With Justice' here. Learn more about the theme 'Freedom From Fear, Preventing Terror' on our theme page. You can learn more about Amnesty International's work to 'Counter Terror with Justice' initiative here
