Washington D.C., Jun 25, 2013 / 23:03 pm
The U.S. bishops' international justice head told the U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel that detainees held on terrorism charges at Guantanamo Bay deserve a just trial and should not be held indefinitely.
"Detainees have the right to a just and fair trial held in a timely manner," wrote Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, to Secretary Hagel.
"The indefinite detention of detainees is not only injurious to those individuals, it also wounds the moral reputation of our nation, compromises our commitment to the rule of law, and undermines our struggle against terrorism."
Bishop Pates, who chairs the U.S. Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, penned a June 25 letter to the Defense Secretary asking for a review of the detention camp conditions and the release of prisoners who have been cleared.