US Discards Evidence Obtained Through ‘Torture’ in Gitmo Case

[tekisui]

Source: The Raw Story

(ACLU) NEW YORK – The government today stated it would no longer rely on evidence obtained through torture and other coercion in the habeas corpus case challenging the unlawful detention of Guantánamo detainee Mohammed Jawad. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion on July 1 to suppress Jawad’s statements, and today the Justice Department announced it would not oppose that motion.

“We commend the government for halting its reliance on evidence obtained through torture and other abuse in Mr. Jawad’s habeas case,” said Jonathan Hafetz, staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project and a lawyer for Jawad. “Now it is time to send Jawad home to Afghanistan because there is no credible evidence against him. Nearly seven years of unlawful detention is long enough.”

The judge in Jawad’s military commission trial previously suppressed statements made by Jawad to Afghan and U.S. officials following his arrest, finding that they were the product of torture. However, the government had continued to rely on those same statements in Jawad’s habeas corpus challenge, as well as other statements obtained through Jawad’s continued abuse at Bagram and at Guantánamo.

more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/15/aclu-us-discards/

[zipplewrath]

1. A good thing

I'm one of the folks that has been more unhappy with much of what Obama has done so far as I have been pleased. I will admit though that I suspect this is one of the things that is happening that would not have under either Bush or McCain. SOME sanity is coming to the Gitmo situation even if it isn't completely to my "hopes". Credit where credit is due and all that.