Obama Defies Federal Courts in Holding Yemeni Detainees

On Monday a federal court judge ordered the Department of Defense to release a 47-year-old father of two with a heart condition who it has imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for the past seven years without justification. But like the other Yemeni men cleared for release but still held at the More…

In Jawad Case, Both Evidence and Crime Remain Unclear

Eric Montalvo, a U.S. Army Marine Corps major and Mohammed Jawad’s military defense lawyer, yesterday sent me a long note about the latest news on his client. Among the most interesting points is his characterization of the evidence the government now says it may use to bring a More…

Judge Faces Major Challenge to Government Authority Over Gitmo Detainee

I’d bet that Judge Ellen Huvelle of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is really mad now.

After telling the government last week that it has “no evidence” supporting its case against Mohammed Jawad — the Afghan teenager arrested for allegedly throwing a hand grenade at U.S. soldiers, More…

U.S. Will Transfer Gitmo Child Soldier to Civilian Court, But Still Won’t Let Him Go

It wasn’t until late Friday afternoon that the Obama Justice Department, after years of wrangling over the fate of Mohammed Jawad, the Afghan boy arrested for allegedly lobbing a hand grenade at U.S. soldiers in 2002, admitted that it does not have enough evidence to continue to hold him More…

Judge Slams Justice Department in Gitmo Child Soldier Case

The last time I wrote about the case of Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Jawad, the government had just conceded that its primary evidence — his “confessions” — were the product of torture and inadmissible in court. But the government still wasn’t letting Jawad go. Last night I received a copy More…

Judge Suppresses Coerced Confessions and Refuses to Delay Hearing in Gitmo Case

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle this morning denied the government’s attempt to further delay the hearing of Guantanamo Bay prisoner Mohammed Jawad and, as expected, ruled that his coerced confessions will not be admitted in his habeas corpus proceeding. This is the first time that a judge has ordered More…

Obama Still Hasn’t Stated Position on Evidence Acquired Through Torture

Following up on my post earlier today that the Justice Department has decided not to oppose the American Civil Liberties Union’s motion to suppress tortured and coerced testimony in the habeas corpus case of Mohammed Jawad, it’s worth noting that the Obama administration still hasn’t said what it’s official More…