Detainees

Guantanamo prisoner Under the rubric of the "War on Terror," the United States has detained thousands of people in the US and around the world. Many are being held without charge or trial in violation of fundamental due process rights. Others are being rendered to countries who engage in torture.

Those Detained in the "War on Terror" Fall into Several Categories:

Individuals captured by the United States, transported to Guantanamo, designated as "enemy combatants," and held indefinitely without charge or access to a fair trial, many since December 2001, and denied fundamental protections under international human rights and humanitarian law.
US citizens and foreign nationals designated by the President as "enemy combatants" and incarcerated in the United States for about two years, and are held indefinitely without charge, given extremely restricted or no access to a lawyer, and denied the right to a fair trial, in breech of the US Constitution and international law.
Individuals who were detained in post September 11th sweeps often for minor immigration violations and who have either been held indefinitely or deported.
Individuals the United States transported for interrogation to other countries, among them nations with a record of torture. This policy is referred to as "extraordinary renditions" of detainees for purposes of gathering information, despite that torture is immoral and leads to false confessions.
Individuals captured and held in U.S. military custody in Afghanistan, Iraq, and possibly other locations that are not yet known.
Individuals detained by authorities of other country around the world and who are being held without charge or trial as nations use the War on Terror to repress legitimate dissent or engage in broad sweeps of communities in their effort to cooperate with the United States in the War on Terror.

Amnesty International Demands That:

The US government end the legal limbo of all detainees
All those held are charged and given fair trials or released
They are granted full access to lawyers and families
They are treated humanely and granted access to their rights
Their families are kept informed of their legal status and well-being