January 14, 2016, New York – In response to the news of the departure of Gen. John F. Kelly, who oversees Guantánamo prison, the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:
We welcome the new leadership in Guantánamo and hope Admiral Tidd will end the widely-reported pattern of intransigence from Pentagon officials that has delayed transfers out of Guantánamo. As a recent report by Reuters shows, Pentagon officials have gone to great lengths to obstruct resettlement efforts in the case of our client Tariq Ba Odah, a long-term hunger striker who was long cleared for release and is dangerously ill. This cannot continue.
CCR has led the legal battle over Guantánamo for over 14 years – representing clients in two Supreme Court cases and organizing and coordinating hundreds of pro bono lawyers across the country to represent the men at Guantánamo, ensuring that nearly all have the option of legal representation. Among other Guantánamo cases, the Center represents the families of men who died at Guantánamo, and men who have been released and are seeking justice in international and domestic courts.
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.