Death by Detention
Last week, our friend – journalist Andy Worthington – reminded readers of a forgotten anniversary: the second anniversary of a death at Guantánamo – apparently by suicide.
This week, the world learned of yet another death at Guantánamo – another apparent suicide of 31-year old Yemeni national Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih – who has been detained since February, 2002. Salih's death bumps up the total death count at Gitmo to six. Of these deaths, five are believed to be suicide.
As Ben Wizner, a staff attorney with our National Security Project, stated, "Tragic deaths like this one have become all too common in a system that locks up detainees indefinitely without charge or trial."
You may recall that back in January, the ACLU and a handful of other human rights groups sent a letter to President Obama asking him to grant full access to the detention center so that we could review the conditions of confinement and make recommendations for revising U.S. detention policies. We were never granted access.
In light of this tragic news, we are renewing that call, and asking for an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this apparent suicide and the conditions of confinement at Guantánamo.
In an ACLU statement about the suicide, Ben also stated: "There is no room for a system of indefinite detention without charge or trial under our Constitution. Detainees against whom there is legitimate evidence should be tried in our federal courts – not in the reconstituted military commissions now being proposed. Those against whom there is no legitimate evidence must not be given a de-facto life sentence by being locked up forever."
Jun 5th, 2009 at 5:34am
When a nation illegally imprisons and then holds a person without any due process rights does that nation assume total responsibility for the health and welfare of the person?
When the nation basically takes away all ability of a person to choose his environment, condition, food, and all the other daily freedoms ILLEGALLY does that nation take on the legal burden for the health and welfare of that person?
After all with no rights, no say in his or her condition, and where a nation has taken such choices ILLEGALLY how can the nation not be responsible for its illegally detained person?
Regardless of whether or not a prisoner goes on a hunger strike the responsiblity exists. In that the detention is illegal that should be a good argument that a detainee is entitled to protest in any manner even by hunger strike.
It appears the detainer failed to use its best efforts even to extraordinary measures to preserve a detainees life at minimum if not adequate health.
Jun 6th, 2009 at 2:12pm
Fortunately this is going to change.
Now instead of permanent detention causing hopelessness and depression to the point of suicide, we are going to LET these men plead guilty. Maybe then we can legally kill them???
Kangaroo courts create kangaroo justice. Creating such systems damages our national image and the justice system that once was a model for the world.
Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:31pm
Guantanamo Bay is not the only place where due process is denied. Take a look at Montgomery Alabama--You will find the poor, defenseless just waiting for trial--My son has been held hostage as a political prisoner for two years and because I questioned the lack of evidence and the planting of evidence, I have been intimidated and harassed every day since my son was incarcerated unjustly.
Help us with this please! Please don't tell me to contact Montgomery, AL--they will do absolutely nothing.
Thank you,
Mary Boone
Jun 10th, 2009 at 11:29pm
The ACLU is exactly what is wrong with our country. I am not a conservative nut like many out there, but damn you guys are really NUTS!!!!
Jun 13th, 2009 at 9:19pm
stop prohibting the use of finding those who do not care about America!!
Stupid is that stupid does. You idiots are being pretty damned stupid.
Jul 18th, 2009 at 11:59am
They all should be departed as the ACLU. You people are all on a free ride. This is America and we support are own. Deport all who should not be in the US and stop the free service and Health care.
It is time for all Americans to wake up and support America and buy US Made products. If not you are not American.
American will not trade with Cuba but will with China. What is up with that?
If you take a boat from Cuba and land on US soils you can stay and the US will help you start a new life. What is wrong with that photo? How can a boat make it to US soil with out being noted? What is wrong with that photo?
There is to many Lawyers out there that are not Americans only out for the cash.
That is the change that is needed and you have the control. Check the facts and not the BS a Lawyer tells you.
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 2:22am
All at Gitmo are terrorists, and as such deserve no rights. I don't believe they should have been this long in detention, they should have executed a long time ago.
The Afghan, Iraqi and Iranian terrorists execute Americans with no trial and for no other reason than they are AMERICAN'S. Remember 9/11/01, where ther terrorists killed 3000+ people in a cowardly manner for no reason.
Keep Gitmo, and execute the terrorists. The Japanese, Russians, Italians and Germans did the same thing in WWII, the North Vietnamese detaied and executed as have the Koreans, and many other nations.
You are aither an American and against terrorists, or anti-American and pro-terrorists. This is the same as with criminals, they deserve no second chance, a killer needs to be "exterminated" as we used to say in Spec Ops.
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