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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Jen Nessel, 212.614.6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org

CCR Guantanamo Attorneys Denounce Proposed New Rules for Military Commissions

In response to reports of proposed new rules for the controversial military commissions system at Guantanamo, the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents men in all three categories of remaining detainees at the base - cleared men, "forever prisoners," and those charged in the military commissions - released the following statement:

WASHINGTON

In response to reports of proposed new rules for the controversial military commissions system at Guantanamo, the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents men in all three categories of remaining detainees at the base - cleared men, "forever prisoners," and those charged in the military commissions - released the following statement:

The Pentagon's legislative proposals are an attempt to change the rules of the military commission system after more than a decade in order to stymie the defense and afford the prosecution a greater chance to win these cases. We know from experience that concepts like "efficacy," "flexibility," and "better management" will mean fewer rights for the men we represent, and in particular are a response to the government's poor track record of prosecuting military commission cases. If the commission system is not working, or costs too much, it should be abandoned for federal courts.

The Center for Constitutional Rights has led the legal battle over Guantanamo for more than 14 years - representing clients in two Supreme Court cases and organizing and coordinating hundreds of pro bono lawyers across the country, ensuring that nearly all the men detained at Guantanamo have had the option of legal representation. Among other Guantanamo cases, the Center represents the families of men who died at Guantanamo, and men who have been released and are seeking justice in international courts.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. CCR is committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.

(212) 614-6464