September 6, 2012, New York – In response to today’s ruling by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, rejecting a new set of rules restricting attorney access to Guantanamo, Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren issued the following statement:
Today’s ruling reaffirms that constitutional rights are not subject to the whim of the executive. The court has correctly recognized the government’s attempt to restrict attorney access to the men at Guantanamo as the latest in a ten year history of successive efforts to “delay, hinder, or prevent access to the courts.”
The new rules came out of the blue and can only be seen as an effort to punish the men at Guantanamo for exercising their right to challenge their detention. These rules would have given the government unfettered control over Guantanamo. As the court said, the executive cannot be trusted with such power.
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.
Last modified
January 3, 2014