ACLU Welcomes Supreme Court's Decision to Hear Guantánamo Challenges

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed today’s decision by the Supreme Court to review an appeal by Guantánamo detainees, who are seeking the right to challenge the legality of their detention in federal court. The Court had previously declined to hear the appeal in April, but reversed course in an order issued today on the final day of the Supreme Court Term.

The following statement can be attributed to Steven R. Shapiro, the ACLU’s national Legal Director:

“Today’s action by the Supreme Court is yet another sign of growing concern with the Bush administration’s failed Guantánamo policy. Even those who participated in that policy are now openly criticizing it. Having already lost three times in the Supreme Court, the administration continues to argue that it has the right to detain hundreds of people at Guantánamo indefinitely without any meaningful judicial review. The time has come for the Supreme Court to put an end to this system of injustice.”