US-AFGHANISTAN: Habeas Challenges for Bagram Prisoners

[tekisui]

Source: IPS

NEW YORK, Mar1, 2010 (IPS) - Four men who have been imprisoned for over a year – some for almost two years – are going to U.S. federal court to challenge their detention at the notorious Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

The men, who their lawyers say have never engaged in hostilities against the U.S. and are not members of groups that have engaged in hostilities against the U.S., have never been told why they are being detained, permitted to speak with a lawyer or given a meaningful opportunity to challenge their detention before a court or impartial administrative board.

The habeas corpus petitions were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The petitions ask that the four men to be given access to lawyers and be allowed to challenge the legality of their detention in court.

Jonathan Hafetz, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told IPS, "These habeas petitions seek the basic right for an individual imprisoned indefinitely by the executive to challenge his detention in a court of law."

"For far too long, the U.S. has been seizing people in Afghanistan, including from their homes, and jailing them for years, without charge or a fair hearing. This serves neither our values nor our security," he said.

"A court must have a chance to decide whether it's lawful to continue imprisoning these men without charge. The U.S. practice of indefinitely detaining hundreds of people at Bagram without access to lawyers, judicial review or a fair process is a stain on our reputation in the world," he added.

One of the petitions filed today is on behalf of Afghan brothers Sibghatullah Jalatzai, who was a translator for the U.S. military for four years before his detention nearly 20 months ago, and Samiullah Jalatzai, who was arrested without explanation at his workplace nearly 23 months ago.

more: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50499

[spanone]

1. shameful

[tekisui]

2. And, Obama is still blocking Habeas for the deatainees

in Guantanamo. And, when they close the internment camp, they will just move the detainees to Illinois, and still refuse Habeas. We are running internment camps, holding innocent people WITHOUT CHARGE.

It is indeed very shameful.

[unhappycamper]

3. It's the new American way.

If you can't prosecute them, lock them up. Fuck that Magna Carter thingie.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[G_j]

5. K&R