9/11 suspects should face civilian court, UN envoys say

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

GENEVA, March 9 (Reuters) - United Nations human rights investigators called on the Obama administration on Tuesday to prosecute the accused Sept. 11 masterminds in a civilian court, declaring that U.S. military tribunals would not be fair. The White House is reviewing options to bring the 9/11 detainees to justice and U.S. officials said on Friday senior administration officials may recommend that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects in the 2001 attacks face a military trial.

"I take the view that the Military Commissions Act is fundamentally flawed. It is very far from international fair trial standards and probably cannot be fixed," said Martin Scheinin, U.N. special rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

Scheinin and other U.N. rapporteurs are independent investigators reporting to the U.N. Human Rights Council, whose 47 members include the United States.

The Finnish international law professor, who has visited the U.S.-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, also said it would be a mistake for the Obama administration to try to reform the Military Commissions Act, proclaimed under President George W. Bush, to try to provide for fair trials.

"To me the only safe option is to go to regular federal criminal courts which also have a much better track record in dealing with terrorism cases than the very unfortunate military commissions," Scheinin told a news briefing in Geneva.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE6281XV.htm

[Old and In the Way]

1. I think I understand the motivation of the former administration' s desire

to avoid civilian (public) trials

Not sure why the present administration should share this concern.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Ya mean, - ya mean we didn't have to make all these WARS???

.
.
.

Trillions a dollars spent to waste a coupla countries

and all we really had to do was charge them as common criminals?

Gee golly

Rummy and Darth are gonna be really upset

All this bloodshed for nothing . . .

[Solly Mack]

3. k/r

[rhett o rick]

4. Did anyone catch the statistics Thom Hartmann gave out on his show today.

I was in transit and couldnt write down the stats. Something like over in the last 10 years (?) over 100 terrorist suspects have been tried in civilian courts with 80% now in prison. Compared to 3 tried in military tribunals with 1 in prison.

If someone has the accurate stats, please let me know.