Australia calling Washington

It's up to us to act, so we're going global and taking our David Hicks campaign straight to the top.

This coming week, the US President wants to pass new legislation for trying detainees that's actually far worse than the unfair system the US Supreme Court threw out - and ignoring the facts, our Government barracks from the sidelines. But his new plan is so outrageous that now support from Congress could collapse.

America sees Australia as the closest of allies. At this crucial moment, tell the President of the United States and Congress that another sham system of Guantanamo justice is unacceptable.

The President wants to use the anniversary of September 11 to pass devastating new legislation for trying detainees. It prevents defendants and their lawyers from even seeing evidence against them or confronting witnesses, while allowing prosecutors to use hearsay and evidence obtained through coercion.

If the President is successful, detainees such as David Hicks will never again have access to appeals, or be able to make allegations of torture or mistreatment in the courts.

The American Government has not, and would not ever, allow their citizens to be tried in Guantanamo Bay. Tell them not to create a system of justice for our citizen they wouldn't accept for theirs.

www.getup.org.au/campaign/AustraliaCallingWashington media release

Tagged: david+hicks, guantanamo, usa, australia, human+rights, civil+rights, activism