Human Rights First Disappointed at Federal Appeals Court Decision

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Human Rights First Disappointed at Federal Appeals Court Decision Denying Guantanamo Detainees Due Process

"The Court of Appeals ruling runs counter to one of the most important checks on unbridled executive power enshrined in the U.S. Constitution: the right to challenge imprisonment in a full and fair proceeding. If allowed to stand, this ruling would permit the government to hold prisoners, potentially indefinitely, without having to show to a court of law why the person has been detained," said Hina Shamsi, deputy director of Human Rights First's Law and Security Program. "As the dissenting opinion correctly argues, Congress may suspend the writ of habeas corpus only in times of rebellion or invasion, the most grave national emergencies. U.S. courts are well able to decide detention cases that raise both national security and individual liberties concerns."

CONTACT: Henry Griggs, Human Rights First, 212-845-5274

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070220/pl_usnw/human_rights_first_disappointed_at_federal_appeals_court_decision_denying_guantanamo_detainees_due_process