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US Navy defense lawyer allowed access to restricted Guantanamo camp

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Navy defense attorney Cmdr. Suzanne Lachelier was given rare access on Wednesday to Camp Seven, a special Guantanamo camp for alleged al Qaeda members classified as "high-value detainees" at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Lachelier is a defense lawyer for Ramzi Binalshibh, who has been charged with murder and war crimes for his alleged role in the 9/11 attacks. She made the visit after convincing  US military judge Col. Ralph Kohlmann  that she needed to assess conditions in the camp to determine if they are worsening Binalshibh's mental illnesses, in order to argue whether he is competent to stand trial. Kohlmann, however denied requests that a defense psychologist also be allowed into the camp. Binalshibh, classified as an enemy combatant for his role in the attacks, faces the death penalty if convicted. Prisoners in Camp Seven are isolated from other prisoners to prevent violence against those who have provided information to interrogators, and the exact location of the camp has been kept secret to prevent a terrorist attack. The existence of the camp was not known until last December when it was mentioned in court papers filed by lawyers for Majid Khan, the first "high-value" Guantanamo Bay detainee to be allowed to meet privately with legal counsel.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on November 19, 2008 (boomark / email).