Friday, September 02, 2005

Guantanamo detainees on hunger strike

"Scores of detainees are on hunger strike at the Guantanamo detention camp, lawyers for the detainees and US military authorities say.

"It is not known if Australian David Hicks is taking part in the protest ...

"'Since January 2002, the (US Defence Department) has denied prisoners access to the courts or legal counsel in an effort to avoid justifying the basis for the detentions,' said attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez, of the New York-based Centre for Constitutional Rights, which is representing some of the prisoners.

"'This policy has driven detainees to strike until they die or are afforded a fair hearing and humane treatment.'

"There are about 505 detainees at the detention camp on the US naval base in Cuba.

"Yesterday the Pentagon announced changes to the way it will conduct military trials of foreign terrorism suspects.

"Critics have dismissed the changes as window dressing that has failed to fix fundamental defects.

"'No substantive change was made to the process,' said a statement by the lawyers representing Hicks, Marine Corps Major Michael Mori and civilian Joshua Dratel."
ABC

[Major Mori proves that there must be at least one moral person in the US military. Where are the others? Speak out!]

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