Post by dubois on Mar 28, 2007 19:53:46 GMT 3
The Kenyan government has recently handed Abdulmalik Mohammed, a Kenyan citizen, to the United States government and he is now being held in Guantanamo Bay. I certainly do not have any knowledge or facts regarding this man's case but irrespective of his guilt or innocence, the decision to hand him over to the modern day Nazis is repulsive and an unacceptable assault on any democratic gains our country has achieved in the last fourty years. The detainment camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba is a symbol of oppression and an assault on humanity. Amenesty international, the European Union and many other human rights groups have in the recent past expressed their disgust and called for the immediate closure of the detention camp.
David Hicks, an Australian captured in Afghanistan, has been held for over five years without being charged in a court of law or a military court. He is accused of aiding the terrorists, an accusation he has denied even after years of torture and months of solitary confinement. On July 9, 2003, Hicks was placed in a closet-sized, self-contained cell designed to deny its occupant all stimuli; this CIA sensory-deprivation torture technique continued for eight months (244 days). Hicks "experienced 'extreme mood swings' almost hourly" and began to consider suicide. By early 2004 American attorney Joshua Dratel, "found Hicks at the brink of despair [...] obsessed with the minutiae of his surroundings, almost unable to comprehend the reality of his trial and the larger issues at stake." In 2007 Australians have realized the gross injustice behind Hick's incarceration and they have finally pressured their political leaders to act. The argument is not whether Hicks is innocent or guilty but that his fundamental rights as an Australian citizen are being atrociously violated. This week, Hicks, after years of isolation, agreed to plead guilty to the charge so he can be transfered back to Australia. Hicks' father and lawyer supposedly convinced an unrelenting son/client to give in so he can leave Guantanamo Bay.
Abdulmalik Mohammed's innocence or guilt is not the question either. His fundamental right as a Kenyan citizen and under international law is that he has his day in court. It does not matter whether a military or a civilian court. However, the US has established dodgy military tribunals that are basically kangaroo courts meant to give a touch of credibility to their war crimes. Kenyans should not allow a fellow citizen to go through such tribunals. I realize that an African's life is not worth much especially in our country. Let's face it, if they have detained a white Australian man for over five years and gotten away with it what's the hope for Mohammed? However this being an election year we can persuade our political leaders to make a commitment to return Mohammed home. He should come back and face the justice system in a fair and transparent way. He shouldn't be exposed to torture and solitary confinement even before his guilt has been established. The right to a fair trial is a fundamental principal that Kenyans have been fighting for since the colonial era to the second liberation and hopefully to the next liberation. We should speak up for Abdulmalik to fulfil our desire for a better Kenya.
For more details on David Hicks and the conditions in the detention camp click on this link. www.themonthly.com.au/excerpts/issue13_excerpt_001.html
David Hicks, an Australian captured in Afghanistan, has been held for over five years without being charged in a court of law or a military court. He is accused of aiding the terrorists, an accusation he has denied even after years of torture and months of solitary confinement. On July 9, 2003, Hicks was placed in a closet-sized, self-contained cell designed to deny its occupant all stimuli; this CIA sensory-deprivation torture technique continued for eight months (244 days). Hicks "experienced 'extreme mood swings' almost hourly" and began to consider suicide. By early 2004 American attorney Joshua Dratel, "found Hicks at the brink of despair [...] obsessed with the minutiae of his surroundings, almost unable to comprehend the reality of his trial and the larger issues at stake." In 2007 Australians have realized the gross injustice behind Hick's incarceration and they have finally pressured their political leaders to act. The argument is not whether Hicks is innocent or guilty but that his fundamental rights as an Australian citizen are being atrociously violated. This week, Hicks, after years of isolation, agreed to plead guilty to the charge so he can be transfered back to Australia. Hicks' father and lawyer supposedly convinced an unrelenting son/client to give in so he can leave Guantanamo Bay.
Abdulmalik Mohammed's innocence or guilt is not the question either. His fundamental right as a Kenyan citizen and under international law is that he has his day in court. It does not matter whether a military or a civilian court. However, the US has established dodgy military tribunals that are basically kangaroo courts meant to give a touch of credibility to their war crimes. Kenyans should not allow a fellow citizen to go through such tribunals. I realize that an African's life is not worth much especially in our country. Let's face it, if they have detained a white Australian man for over five years and gotten away with it what's the hope for Mohammed? However this being an election year we can persuade our political leaders to make a commitment to return Mohammed home. He should come back and face the justice system in a fair and transparent way. He shouldn't be exposed to torture and solitary confinement even before his guilt has been established. The right to a fair trial is a fundamental principal that Kenyans have been fighting for since the colonial era to the second liberation and hopefully to the next liberation. We should speak up for Abdulmalik to fulfil our desire for a better Kenya.
For more details on David Hicks and the conditions in the detention camp click on this link. www.themonthly.com.au/excerpts/issue13_excerpt_001.html
