The US government today lost a court bid to prevent terrorism detainees gaining access to all readily available documents about them as they challenge their indefinite imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay.
By a 5-5 vote, the full 10-member US appeals court rejected an administration request to hear a case that a three-judge panel of the court ruled on last year. The tied vote meant the earlier decision remained in place.
That ruling required the government to provide detainees with all readily available documents to help them challenge their designation as enemy combatants.
The United States has been widely criticised by human rights organizations for its treatment of those it has designated as enemy combatants in its so-called war against terrorism.
There are about 275 detainees at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, which was set up to handle prisoners captured by the United States following the September 11th attacks.
Detainee lawyers have argued that giving them the right to review all documents compiled by the US government, not just those presented to the military tribunal, could help clear the prisoners, many of whom have been held for about six years.
Under a US law called the Detainee Treatment Act, the prisoners can bring legal challenges before the appeals court to decisions made by the "Combatant Status Review Tribunal."
Combatant Status Review Tribunals have been held for about 570 detainees. The military determined that only 38 were no longer enemy combatants but prisoners have challenged more than 100 tribunal decisions.