From the ACLU


Today, June 15th, marks the 792nd anniversary of the writ of habeas corpus.*


There’s rarely been more at stake for our friend Habeas Corpus than there is this year. So we’re taking a moment to celebrate him and show him we care. And you can be a part of the celebration.


Show your support by adding a greeting and message to our Habeas birthday card. Or, email us a photo of yourself with a birthday message and we’ll upload it to Habeas’ Flickr photo gallery. (Please keep your photo size to less than 2 MB.)


We’d give the card to Habeas himself, but he’s been missing since October 17, 2006 — the day Congress allowed the president to sign the Military Commissions Act into law. But you can go to FindHabeas.com today to see selected birthday messages (and with any luck, Habeas will find an Internet cafe somewhere and get to see them too).

Habeas got one early birthday present this week, when a federal court said the Bush administration cannot indefinitely imprison a U.S. resident on suspicion alone. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals called for a writ of habeas corpus directing the Pentagon to either charge Qatari national Ali al-Marri in the civilian court system, deport him, hold him as a material witness or release him.


This decision is a repudiation of the Bush administration and policies like the Military Commissions Act, and it shows that our system of laws is stronger than the misguided strategies of an overreaching executive branch.


Habeas is more than an idea. It lies at the heart of our national identity and the values each of us holds. For centuries, Habeas Corpus has stood up for anyone who was accused of a crime, protecting us against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. As our fight to restore Habeas continues, help us show our appreciation of him by celebrating his birthday with us.


Show your support by adding a greeting and message to our Habeas birthday card. Send Habeas your own greeting. (Please keep your photo size to less than 2 MB.) Or, email us a photo of yourself with a birthday message and we’ll upload it to Habeas’ Flickr photo gallery.



* June 15, 1215 marks the signing of the Magna Carta, which contained the prohibitions against unlawful imprisonment that evolved into the Great Writ of habeas corpus.