ACLU: Congress Must Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union continues the fight to close Guantanamo Bay, especially in light of today’s New York Times revelation of the long-term hunger strike that has broken out there.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

“This is a prime example of why Guantanamo Bay must close. These people are being held without charge in horrific conditions that violate the traditional American value of due process. The Defense Department admits that only several dozen of the nearly 400 prisoners being detained there will ever face charges. Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked the president to close Guantanamo Bay. And Senator John McCain said, if elected president, he ‘would immediately close Guantanamo Bay, move all prisoners to Fort Leavenworth and truly expedite the judicial proceedings in their cases.’

“The Constitution makes the president subject to the rule of law. Its drafters rejected dungeons and monarchies and chose a system of due process with limited powers. The time has come to shut down Guantanamo. Until that day, detainees must have access to independent judiciary review to insure they are treated humanly and with dignity.”