A group of human rights lawyers has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of more than 500 unnamed terrorism suspects held by the U.S. government at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The suit, which charges that the detainees are being improperly held, was filed late Thursday by the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights. It is in addition to more than 70 cases pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that were filed by family members of other detainees.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina granted lawyers permission to file the suit Thursday. In a one-page order, he allowed the petition to proceed using the fictitious name John Doe for each detainee, citing the special circumstances of the case. Urbina did not elaborate.
Foreign nationals from about 40 countries have been held in Cuba. They were mainly swept up in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. The government contends that the prisoners are not entitled to the same constitutional protections as Americans.
Two district judges recently issued conflicting rulings on whether detainees have a legal basis to challenge their detention in federal court. That issue is being appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
