The Guantánamo military judge handling the case of the alleged USS Cole bomber halted the trial following months of failed attempts to get three civilian defense attorneys who resigned from the case last year to return.

Amnesty International USA’s Security with Human Rights Director, Daphne Eviatar, issued the following statement:

“The military commissions at Guantánamo have been a farce since the beginning, and do nothing except delay justice. Today’s actions show that these sideshows will never result in a fair trial and will only consume more time and resources. We already have a tried-and-tested mechanism to handle these cases in the form of our federal courts. Both the prison at Guantánamo and its ineffective military commissions should be shut down. Those who have never been charged should be transferred and those facing charges should see their day in federal court as soon as possible.”