HRF Applauds Decision to Release 17 Uighurs From Gitmo

Yesterday, for the first time, a federal court ordered the release of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. 17 Chinese Uighurs have been held at Gitmo for nearly seven years. They were cleared for release in 2004, and last week the U.S. Government conceded that they would no longer be treated as “enemy combatents”. However, they have not been returned to China because of fears they will be abused upon their return, and no third country has agreed to accept them. Resettling the Uighurs in the U.S. is an important step towards closing Guantanamo. Human Rights First applauded the ruling:

“Today’s ruling takes yet another step toward dismantling the flawed legal framework underlying the detentions at Guantanamo and toward repairing our reputation as a nation committed to human rights and the rule of law,” said Human Rights First Senior Associate Deborah Colson. “Judge Urbina correctly found that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the indefinite detention of innocent men and women without legal cause.”