9/11 Detainees Postpone Guilty Pleas At Guantánamo
ACLU Says Flawed System Must Be Scrapped
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – After expressing their desire to plead guilty at a Guantánamo military commission hearing earlier today, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other detainees charged with crimes related to the 9/11 attacks said they would postpone entering pleas until the competency of two additional co-defendants is determined. Outstanding questions remain about whether the death penalty can be imposed if the defendants plead guilty.
The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union who is at Guantánamo observing today’s proceedings:
“This afternoon’s hearing was just another chapter in the Guantánamo military commissions debacle. Neither the military judge nor the accused are clear about how these proceedings will move forward. What is abundantly clear is that no matter how hard the government tries to advance the military commissions, this process doesn’t work. Questions of the death penalty and the competence of several of the defendants are still unresolved – and not likely to be resolved. The only solution is to shut the military commissions down and start from scratch.”
The ACLU John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, has sponsored expert civilian counsel who are assisting the under-resourced military defense counsel for these detainees. More information is available online at: www.aclu.org/johnadams
Stay Informed
Every month, you'll receive regular roundups of the most important civil rights and civil liberties developments. Remember: a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy policy.
The Latest in National Security
-
ACLU Acknowledges Improvements to DOJ Racial Profiling Policy, But Says Far More is Needed
-
ACLU Applauds Court For Allowing Case Challenging FBI’s Wrongful Prosecution of Chinese American Physics Professor To Move Forward
-
Shen v. Simpson
-
Chinese Immigrants Sue Florida Over Unconstitutional and Discriminatory Law Banning Them From Buying Land
ACLU's Vision
The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Learn More About National Security
The ACLU’s National Security Project is dedicated to ensuring that U.S. national security policies and practices are consistent with the Constitution, civil liberties, and human rights.