U.S. Military Commissions: Human Rights Watch Urges Revision of Rules on Legal Counsel

On June 10, 2003, Human Rights Watch wrote to Department of Defense General Counsel William Haynes, urging him to revise rules that pertain to legal representation for defendants before U.S. military commissions. Human Rights Watch has consistently voiced fundamental concerns with the military commissions under international humanitarian and human rights law since the commissions were first proposed in November 2001. We remain concerned that military commissions set up under the rules issued by the Department of Defense in March 2002 and April 2003 will not meet international fair trial standards.