Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Deprived of justice, the Guantánamo detainees' last resort is to hunger strike...

Tensions continue to rise at Guantánamo, where the US military acknowledges that 39 detainees – nearly one-quarter of the 166 prisoners – are engaged in a hunger strike. Attorneys for detainees say the number is significantly higher. Although the hunger strike has attracted international attention, it should come as no surprise given the sense of despair that pervades the prison.

Detainees claim that guards mistreated their Qur'ans during routine cell searches. The military denies the allegations, maintaining that guards followed established procedures and treated the Qur'ans respectfully.

The truth may never be uncovered. But it is largely immaterial. The real cause of the hunger strike is that after more than a decade of confinement, all but a handful of the remaining prisoners have not been charged with a crime and do not know when, if ever, they will be released.

Guantánamo, to be sure, has come a long way since the first prisoners were taken there in early 2002 and placed in outdoor cages. The last decade has witnessed a historic struggle to bring law to a law-free zone. Notable victories include US supreme court decisions upholding the right to habeas corpus, thus guaranteeing prisoners the opportunity to present their case to a federal judge. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. US military admits three Gitmo hunger-strikers hospitalized, at least 10...
  2. Lawyers alarmed as Guantanamo hunger strike grows...
  3. Kucinich: Guantanamo black mark on US, absurd & lawless...
  4. Little reaction from human rights watchdogs as Gitmo hunger strike continues...
  5. Guantanamo hunger strike hits fifth week...
  6. Over 100 Guantanamo inmates ‘on hunger strike,’ possibly...
  7. Guantanamo atrocities continue...

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