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Obama Must Not Allow Bagram Prison To Remain An Afghan Version Of Guantanamo

Publication Date: January 17, 2009
Source: Jurist

Jurist reports that the Stanford International Human Rights Clinic is representing some of the detainees held at Bagram Prison in Afghanistan:

In comparison to Guantanamo, the public knows little about Bagram. Following the U.S. invasion in Afghanistan in October 2001, Bagram Air Base became the central clearing house for captured detainees. In February 2002, the Bush Administration wrongly denied application of the Geneva Conventions to persons detained in Bagram and Guantanamo. Therefore, no proceedings were held by a "competent tribunal," as required by the Geneva Conventions, to determine the status of detainees.

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On January 7, 2009, in the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia, the International Justice Network, along with law clinics at Yale and Stanford Law Schools, attempted to shed light on some of the Bagram detainees they represent. The lawyers for the four petitioners allege that their clients were seized in Yemen, Pakistan, Thailand, and Tunisia, rendered to Bagram, and have been detained without charge for up to six years. The lawyers, who have never met their clients, were contacted by family members of the detainees. They argue that their clients should have the same rights as Guantanamo detainees to challenge their continued detention in federal court. Habeas rights were restored to Guantanamo detainees by the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush in June 2008.

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