John Paul Stevens says some held at Gitmo should get reparations from US government
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com
Just as the U.S. government paid reparations to citizens of Japanese descent interned during World War II, it should now consider doing so to some individuals held at the U.S military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a retired U.S. Supreme Court justice says.
In a Monday speech at a Washington, D.C., hotel, John Paul Stevens said those held at Guantanamo Bay even after it was determined that they are not a threat to the U.S. “are entitled to some sort of reparation,” the Washington Post (reg. req.) reports. The article relies on a press release providing a transcript of Stevens’ remarks (PDF) to Lawyers for Civil Justice.
“I by no means suggest that every Guantanamo detainee, such as those who have been convicted by a military commission, is entitled to compensation,” Stevens said. “But detainees who have been deemed not a security threat to the United States and have thereafter remained in custody for years are differently situated.”
Related material:
National Archives: “Documents and Photographs Related to Japanese Relocation During World War II”
