Amnesty International USA
Press Release
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Military Commissions as Crafted in FY10 National Defense Authorization Act Still Unacceptable, Amnesty International Says
(Washington) – President Obama signed the FY10 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today, which contains revisions to the rules for military commissions used to try detainees at the U.S.-controlled detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Amnesty International rejects as insufficient the changes made and notes that President Obama’s decision to stand by the commissions flies in the face of his promise that U.S. policy would uphold the nation’s laws and values.
“The modified military commissions signed into law today still miss the mark for fairness, legality and credibility. It is counterproductive to bypass time-tested federal courts, as both terror suspects and the nation’s commitment to returning to the rule of law will be on trial,” said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “Detainees should be charged with a recognizable crime and immediately brought to trial in federal court, with their full rights upheld. In the past, these courts have been used to bring other terror suspects to justice, and there is no reason why they cannot continue to do so.”
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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For more information, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org
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