They Won Guantánamo’s Supreme Court Cases. Where are they Now?
The landmark Supreme Court choices in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba arrive at a second in historical past when the justice system and authorities insurance policies have but once more come underneath public scrutiny.
In the early 2000s, detainees within the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus instances to problem their detention in a US Court. Through litigation within the US Court system, seven choices have been handed down in Guantánamo, together with:
- Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
- Yasmin v. Bush
- Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
- Boumediene v. Bush
- Al Odah v. US
- Maqaleh v. Obama
- Al-Bahlul v. US
The plaintiffs
At the guts every case are the detainees—residents of assorted nations—who gained historic victories in opposition to the US authorities within the Supreme Court.
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld was introduced by Yaser Hamdi, a US citizen of SaudiArabian descent who was held with out trial as an “enemy combatant” by the US authorities.
Yasmin v. Bush was introduced by two Yemeni residents and father-son pair Abu Yasmin Al-Rawaf and Yaser Esam Hamdi.
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld was introduced by Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Palestinian man held in Guantánamo and accused of working with al-Qaeda.
Boumediene v. Bush was introduced by Lakhdar Boumediene and 4 different Algerian residents who had been held for years in Guantánamo Bay.
Al Odah v. US was introduced by Fallout Abdulrahman Al-Odah, a Kuwaiti citizen who seeks the assist of the courtroom to problem his detention on the camp.
Maqaleh v. Obama was introduced by Haji Wazir, a citizen of Afghanistan who was held since 2002 and has since been launched.
Al-Bahlul v. US was introduced by Salim Ahmed Hamdan who challenges the Navy’s conduct of his army fee.
Where are they now?
Today, lots of the plaintiffs are nonetheless in limbo. The Saudis, Algerians and Yemini are nonetheless in Guantánamo whereas Haji Wazir is a prisoner at a non-public detention facility in Afghanistan. Most plaintiffs depend on authorized assist to pursue their instances and regain their freedom.
The US authorities has recognized a number of the plaintiffs as “high-risk”and has refused to launch them. However, latest advancementsin the legislation and advocacy of civil rights organizations could herald a extra hopeful future for these struggling for his or her freedom.
Nevertheless, their bravery is not going to quickly be forgotten. The seven instances spotlight the facility of people to problem state-sanctioned injustice and battle for his or her rights underneath the US Constitution.