Government seeks voluntary statements at Guantanamo trials

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Tuesday that only voluntary statements by foreign terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison should be used as evidence at their military trials or else convictions could be reversed on appeal.

Assistant Attorney General David Kris said a serious risk existed that courts would declare unconstitutional the admission of involuntary statements by the accused at their military commission proceedings.

He told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing the administration supported a bill barring the use of any statements obtained by cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, which would cover torture or other unlawful abuse.

But Kris urged Congress to go further and adopt a general standard that the statements by the Guantanamo detainees must be voluntary, though taking into account what he described as the realities of the battlefield and armed conflict.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE56664H20090707

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[pleah]

2. K&R

Assistant Attorney General David Kris said a serious risk existed that courts would declare unconstitutional the admission of involuntary statements by the accused at their military commission proceedings.

Gee, ya think.:eyes:

[TrogL]

3. Is anybody paying attention?

This is actually amazing news - a complete reversal of the Bush administration's refusal to follow the Geneva Convention.

[SpartanDem]

4. The sad thing is this even has to been done

to think we had a government that fought against this idea.