Abstract
Many of the detainees at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been held there for more than ten years by the U.S. government without formal charges or a trial. This Article uses the story of Djamel Ameziane, an Algerian national captured in Pakistan in 2002 and handed over to U.S. authorities, to illustrate the problems that face many of the remaining detainees. Mr. Ameziane’s case has languished in U.S. courts for eight years. Failing to obtain timely relief from U.S. authorities, Mr. Ameziane has petitioned for relief from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. His petition raises the question—what role can or should international law and international bodies play in resolving the cases of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay? Although many of these international tribunals lack direct authority to enforce any violations of international law, this Article argues that there is good reason for the United States to heed international law if it wishes to effectively pursue its War on Terror.
Recommended Citation
Cindy G. Buys,
The Role of International Law and Institutions in U.S. Detention Policy and Practices,
37
S. Ill. U. L.J.
513
(2013).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol37/iss3/3