Lawyer Sues Over New Gitmo Policy Requiring Review of Attorney Mail to Detainees
A lawyer who filed suit in Washington, D.C., seeking relief from a rule that requires officials at the Guantanamo Bay military prison to review attorney-client mail, is at least the second to do so.
James Connell’s suit, which names Rear Adm. David Woods as a defendant, was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., and was made public after a security review and some redactions, reports the Associated Press.
Connell is a civilian lawyer representing Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, who is also known as Ammar Al-Baluchi. He is accused of working with al-Qaida to help nine Sept. 11 hijackers travel to the United States.
Meanwhile, Marine Col. Jeffrey Colwell, who serves as the Pentagon’s chief defense counsel for military commissions, has instructed war court defense lawyers not to send mail to their clients, due to the lack of confidentiality, an earlier Miami Herald story reported.
Woods imposed the new mail rule in December.
A Reuters article provides more details about the dispute.
Related coverage:
Huffington Post: “Another Visit to Guantánamo Bay—But What Can I Tell My Clients?”
Miami Herald: “Defenders seek 9/11 trial delay, blame Guantánamo legal mail dispute
