By KUNA,
London : Reacting to the US Supreme Court ruling recognizing the right of foreign nationals detained in Guantanamo Bay to challenge their detention in US civilian courts, Amnesty International has said the decision was an “essential step forward towards the restoration of the rule of law.” “This is the third time since 2004 that the US’s highest court has rejected arguments advanced by the Bush administration that it can indefinitely detain people without charge or trial, with no meaningful access to justice,” Amnesty said in a press release late last night.
The human rights group expressed concern that the US Government has in the past sought to circumvent rulings of the Supreme Court dealing with their detention policies and practices, notoriously introducing the Military Commissions Act after the court ruled against it in the case “Hamdan-versus-Rumsfeld.” “Justice is long overdue for the some 280 detainees, many of whom have been detained for more than six years without access to any court,” Amnesty said.
“The time has come for the US Government to finally bring its detention policies and practices in the war on terror in line with international standards,” it added.
“It (the US) must stop all interference with the access of detainees to civilian courts and should close Guantanamo promptly, abandon the fundamentally unfair military commission proceedings, and either release or charge and try detainees held there in US federal courts, Amnesty concluded.