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HABEAS CORPUS

Habeas corpus, also known as “The Great Writ” refers to a centuries-old legal concept, fundamental in any democracy. This Latin term, literally meaning, “holding the body”, refers to a legal action that a person can bring in order to seek relief against arbitrary and unlawful detention. The Military Commissions Act purported to strip the right from people designated “alien unlawful enemy combatants,” but in June 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees have a Constitutional right to habeas corpus. Read more »

Take Action

» Urge President Obama and Congress to Reject indefinite detention

»
Write Letters on behalf of people illegally detained at Guantanamo

» Host a screening of the powerful 30-minute documentary Torture on Trial

Latest News

USA: Amnesty International Asks Why Obama Can't Close Guantánamo by His Deadline
November 18, 2009

USA: Amnesty International Calls Transfer of 9/11 Suspects to Federal Courts "An Important Step" - Concerns Remain about Military Commissions
November 13, 2009

Egypt: Convictions in Abu Omar Rendition Case a Step Toward Accountability
November 05, 2009

» More news

Latest Reports

USA: Attorney General orders "preliminary review" into CIA detention cases -- full investigation long overdue
September 01, 2009

Canada still refusing to seek Omar Khadr's repatriation from Guantánamo; Mohammed Jawad returned to Afghanistan
August 28, 2009

USA: Trials in error. Third go at misconceived military commissions experiment
July 16, 2009

» More reports

Resources

Action Resources
» Quotes from the military & intelligence communities

Background Resources
» Framework for closing Guantanamo and ending illegal U.S. detentions
» Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Court?: The Right of Bagram Detainees to Judicial Review
» Fair Trial Standards
» Report: The Promise of Real Change: President Obama's Executive Orders on Detentions and Interrogations


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