Federal Judiciary

Uighurs case due for late June

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

The plea by 17 Chinese Muslim Uighurs seeking their release from detention at Guantanamo Bay is now scheduled to be considered by the Supreme Court at its last scheduled private meeting of the Term, on June 25, according to the Court’s electronic docket.  The case is Kiyemba, et al., v. Obama (08-1234).

The D.C. Circuit Court ruled that no court has the authority to order the release of these prisoners to live, even temporarily, in the U.S., even though the government no longer considers them to be enemies.  They have been waiting for resettlement somewhere other than in their homeland, where they expect to be tortured or killed.  Years of diplomatic effort to place them, however, have not succeeded.

The Justice Department has urged the Court not to review the case, arguing that the Uighurs have achieved all that the courts can give them — that they have a right to “simple release” — and thus no right to have them sent any particular place.

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on June 09, 2009 (boomark / email).