Padilla found guilty on terrorism charges; Amnesty Intl responds

Yesterday, Jose Padilla (U.S. citizen and "enemy combatant" formerly known as the "dirty bomber") was convicted of terrorism-related charges along with two others. The "dirty bomb" was never found. Nor was it part of the trial.

Those who engage in terrorism (or active support thereof) should certainly be prosecuted and punished. But this case was not handled well.

Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement in response to the verdict:

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The trial, part of which an Amnesty International observer attended, failed to address a key issue which poses a great threat to all Americans -- detention of a U.S. citizen without charge, as well as alleged torture and ill-treatment during detention. The timing of the U.S. government's addition of Mr. Padilla to the existing conspiracy charge in the south Florida case raises questions. Mr. Padilla's indictment in a U.S. federal court ensured that the circumstances of Mr. Padilla's incommunicado military detention without charge would not be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This verdict, if it stands, cannot be seen as an endorsement of a regime of unreviewable executive detention. President Bush should not take today's ruling as permission to continue to hold Americans outside the law at his whim.

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