Committee OKs Gitmo Habeas Bill

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill to restore habeas corpus rights for Guantanamo detainees.

The move is part of a renewed effort by Democrats to challenge the Bush administration’s treatment of the detainees, the Washington Post reports.

The measure is included in the Defense Authorization Bill, which also contains other new provisions designed to bolster the legal rights of detainees.

The provisions would give detainees access to evidence and lawyers when they appear before Combatant Status Review Tribunals, and would bar evidence obtained by coercion.