October, 07 2008, 01:03pm EDT
Federal Court Orders Release of Uighurs Indefinitely Detained at Guantanamo
Decision Represents Major Blow to Bush Administration’s Failed Detention Policies, Says ACLU
NEW YORK
A
federal judge today ordered the release of a small group of Chinese
Muslims who have been held without charge at Guantanamo Bay. U.S.
District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in Washington, D.C. rejected the Bush
administration's position of indefinitely holding the detainees, known
as Uighurs, since they are not considered enemy combatants. The Uighurs
have been held in Guantanamo for seven years.
The following can be attributed to Jameel Jaffer, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project:
"This is a landmark decision that
represents a stinging rejection of the Bush administration's
unconstitutional Guantanamo policies. The situation facing the Uighurs
is a stark reminder of the legal and moral quagmire of Guantanamo.
These individuals were cleared for release, but have been held without
charge by this administration in a system that ignores the fundamental
tenets of due process. The judge was right to rule that this kind of
detention is unlawful because the Constitution prohibits indefinite
imprisonment without any charges."
More information about the work of the ACLU's National Security Project is available at: www.aclu.org/safefree/index.html
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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