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(Washington, DC) — Amnesty International USA welcomes the decision yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid not to accept a provision in the draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require terrorism suspects arrested inside the United States to be transferred to military custody.
Amnesty International USA’s Policy Director for Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Human Rights, Tom Parker, said: "This is a very small step in the right direction but in its current form the NDAA still contains language that would keep the prison camp in Guantanamo open permanently and extend the Congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force exponentially. There is a long way to go in this debate before those who care deeply about human rights can breathe a sigh of relief."
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 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 and dignity are denied.
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For more information, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org.