Human Rights Abuses under the Material Witness Law since September 11
The 101-page report, documents how the Justice Department denied the witnesses fundamental due process safeguards. Many were not informed of the reason for their arrest, allowed immediate access to a lawyer, nor permitted to see the evidence used against them. The Justice Department evaded fundamental protections for the suspects and the legal requirements for arrested witnesses. Their court proceedings were conducted behind closed doors, and all the court documents were sealed.
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ISBN: G1702
ISBN: G1702
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- Summary
- Recommendations
- I.The Material Witness Law: Overview and Pre-September 11 Use
- II.Post-September 11 Material Witness Detention Policy
- III.Misuse of the Material Witness Law to Hold Suspects as Witnesses
- IV.High Security Arrests and Incarceration
- V.Bypassing Judicial Review
- VI.Failure of Safeguards for Material Witnesses
- VII.Abusive Interrogations
- VIII.Secret Proceedings
- IX.Every Witness a Flight Risk
- X.Haste, Incompetence, Prejudice: The Arrest of Witnesses Who Have No Information
- XI.Consequences of Arrest for Material Witness Detainees and their Families
- Acknowledgements






