detention without trial news stories on Newser

Obama Throws Away Civil Liberties With Defense Bill

Kevin Spak — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:58:25 CST

President Obama is taking a lot of heat today for dropping his threat to veto a controversial defense bill that could allow the military to capture and indefinitely detain American citizens on US soil. In a fiery editorial, the New York Times today called it "a complete political cave-in, one...

Bradley Manning Is Being Tortured

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:06:04 CST

With so much attention focused on Julian Assange, it’s easy to forget about the plight of accused leaker Bradley Manning—who has now been imprisoned for seven months without being convicted of any crime. In an extensive Salon piece , Glenn Greenwald lays out the case for why he believes that...

Cambodians Raped, Killed at UN-Backed Camp

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:33:57 CDT

Cambodians being held at a UN-funded internment camp are frequently beaten and raped, treatment that has resulted in at least three deaths. Guards at the “social affairs center” say its residents are free to leave when they choose—but human rights watchdogs and ex-inmates say Prey Speu is an “illegal,...

Obama Legal Team Can't Decide on Detention Rules

Kevin Spak — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:11:11 CDT

The Obama administration’s legal team can’t decide who it can and can’t detain indefinitely without trial, with interviews and legal briefs revealing deep internal disagreement. President Obama doesn’t subscribe to George W. Bush’s view of presidential detention powers as essentially unlimited, so his Justice Department originally proposed detaining only members...

Gitmo Inmates May Be Held Indefinitely in US

Rob Quinn — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:39:51 CDT

The Obama administration is considering moving the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay to US soil and holding them in prisons indefinitely without trial, the Wall Street Journal reports. The proposal would take place under the authority of a new national-security court, according to Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has met...

Bin Laden Ally Wins Settlement For Human Rights Breach

Jason Farago — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:24:01 CST

A radical Muslim cleric who has been ordered to leave Britain has won $3,600 from Europe's top court, which ruled his detention without trial after 9/11 violated his human rights. Abu Qatada was cleared for deportation yesterday despite fears he may be tortured in his native Jordan, the Times...

Rehabilitation of Bush Legacy Well Under Way

Jason Farago — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:08:40 CST

Nixon aside, no president since Truman has left office as unpopular as George W. Bush, writes Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer. But while it took decades for Truman's reputation to be restored, "Bush's rehabilitation will come sooner—in fact, it has already begun." The proof? Barack Obama deferential transition, "a...

US Urges China to Free 8 Yanks

Kate Rockwood — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:33:12 CDT

Washington is seeking the release of eight US protesters held by China during the Olympics, Reuters reports. Two were collared Thursday for posting a "Free Tibet" banner near an Olympic event; six others were members of Free Tibet Reporters detained the day before. Beijing vows to release all eight next...

Court: al-Qaeda Suspect Can Challenge Detention

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:53:28 CDT

The president has the right to order the detention of enemy combatants, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday—but detainees can challenge that status. The Virginia-based court was hearing the case of an al-Qaeda suspect who's been in a Navy brig for 5 years without trial, Reuters reports, making him...