Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary, National Council of Churches USA, joined today with 9/11 families and human rights groups in calling for better treatment of prisoners held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay.

….we are not here to make any claims about their guilt or innocence. We are here because the principle of due process under the law also is being held prisoner on Guantanamo. We are determined to protect and defend this fundamental right. Without it, no one can be assured of fair treatment under the law. Without it, any one could be arbitrarily stripped of the human dignity that God confers on all people.

To that end, the National Council of Churches, on January 14, joined many other religious, legal and human rights organizations in filing an amicus brief in this case. Today, with these and other organizations we continue to challenge the startling and dangerous assertion that the United States’ government can sidestep judicial review while holding people outside our nation’s sovereign territory. The attempt to create a land beyond the law, where people are without rights, is troubling in the extreme.

Human Rights Watch has been monitoring the situation in Guantanamo Bay, but no human rights observers are being allowed to witness the military trials being held at the prison camp.

“The Defense Department wants to control who can talk to the journalists covering the trials,” said Wendy Patten, U.S. advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “The Pentagon has imposed a gag rule on defense lawyers, who can only speak to the press with the military’s permission. Now it wants to shut out experienced trial observers who could provide the public with independent analysis.”

Human rights need to apply to everyone – even those we see as the enemy.