Courts, not Military Commissions, for Guantanamo Detainees

Andy Worthington refers to Human Rights First’s In Pursuit of Justice reports in an article in Truthout about military commissions today, reminding:

As Lawyers at Human Rights First have been explaining for many years – most recently in an update to their report, “In Pursuit of Justice: Prosecuting Terrorism Cases in the Federal Court” – in the last 20 years, federal courts have handled approximately 135 real-life terrorism prosecutions, and have secured convictions in over 90 percent of those cases. When the updated report was issued in July, Elisa Massimino, Human Rights First’s chief executive officer, explained, “Politicians have spent eight years trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to prosecuting terrorism and that approach has failed miserably. This report makes clear that the best way forward is to rely on our existing legal system. Its track record of successfully prosecuting criminals, safeguarding national security, and addressing the complex legal issues of our time is unmatched.”

Read the whole article here, and join our Guantanamo campaign if you want to make sure the prison is closed on time!

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Published on November 4, 2009

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