Legal challenge against Guantanamo detentions

A legal challenge against the detention of nine terror suspects being held at Guantanamo Bay has been launched.

This follows a US Supreme Court ruling on Monday that nearly 600 detainees held at the naval base in Cuba can challenge their detention through US courts. Hundreds more are expected to follow.

Papers for the nine detainees were filed yesterday in the US District Court in Washington by human rights lawyers who have authorisation from their families.

Lawyers said in the papers that the US government had exceeded its constitutional authority and asked the court to “declare that the prolonged, indefinite, and restrictive detention of (the detainees) is arbitrary and unlawful”.

The legal challenges also questioned whether some of the men were in poor mental health after long stretches of being held in isolation.

The US government argues the men are “enemy combatants” who pose a threat to America and can be held without legal rights.

In its ruling on Monday, the US Supreme Court rejected the administration’s argument that the detainees could not take their complaints to US courts, but did not describe a process.

“No decision has been made on how we are going to comply with the Supreme Court ruling,” said Major Michael Shavers, a Pentagon spokesman.

About 600 men from more than 40 countries are being held at the naval base on suspicion of links to al-Qaida or the fallen Taliban regime of Afghanistan.

Some of the detainees have been at the prison for more than two-and-a-half years, with little or no contact with the outside world.

Only four have been allowed to meet lawyers so far, and three have been charged.