ABA Supports Civilian Federal Court Criminal Trials for Five Guantanamo Detainees

The President of the American Bar Association, Carolyn Lamm, has written to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to express the ABA's support for the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue federal court prosecutions of the five Guantanamo detainees accused of conspiring to commit the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.  She wrote that "[t]he transfer of these high-profile cases to federal court affirms this nation's adherence to due process and to the rule of law, and clearly establishes that these men are being tried as criminals, not as soldiers in armed conflict."  She also wrote that U.S. federal courts, "respected around the world, are well-equipped to handle trials of this magnitude.  They will provide a fair and impartial forum for bringing these accused criminals to justice and will assure transparency and accountability to victims and the international community."

Click here to see the full text of the letter.

(mew)

PS Click here for a post on a new book about the Guantanamo lawyers.