Habeas corpus allows a prisoner to challenge
the legality of his detention in a court of law. It is one of the oldest and most important checks on arbitrary governmental power.
In 2006, at President Bush’s urging, Congress passed legislation permanently eliminating the right to habeas corpus for certain people—non-citizens whom the executive branch declared to be “unlawful enemy combatants.” The legislation defines such combatants to include people who have never been anywhere near a battlefield, much less fought against the US. Any of the 11.6 million non-citizens living in the US could be detained indefinitely without charge or judicial review.
The United States should affirm the values that are its pride and strength. Congress should restore habeas corpus and send a message to the world that even dreadful acts of terrorism cannot shake the national commitment to the rule of law.
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Contact Your Elected Representatives:
Write and call your representatives in Congress, asking them to restore habeas corpus and the US commitment to justice.
By Mail:
Click here to download a sample letter then mail or e-mail to your elected representatives. Locate addresses at: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
By Phone:
Dial the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to your elected representative.
Email this campaign to a friend
Download the PDF of the Flash Slide Show
Inform Yourself About detention at Guantanamo:
Click here to read Human Rights Watch’s publications and campaigns on indefinite detention at Guantanamo Bay and other issues around US post 9/11 policies.
Write to Your Local Newspaper:
Or contact your local radio and TV stations, and ask them for more news on the right to habeas corpus and the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay! Ask them to interview a Human Rights Watch expert on Guantanamo Bay and the treatment of prisoners. To schedule an interview, contact: hrwpress@hrw.org.
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