Detainee Treatment Act

Detainee Treatment Act

The Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (DTA) is an Act of the United States Congress that was passed on 30 December 2005. Offered as an amendment to a supplemental defense spending bill, it contains provisions relating to treatment of persons in custody of the Department Defense, and administration of detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including :

  • Prohibiting "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment" of any prisoner of the U.S. Government, including prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
  • Requiring military interrogations to be performed according to the U.S. Army Field Manual for Human Intelligence Collector Operations
  • Directing the Department of Defense to establish Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) for persons held in Guantanamo Bay
  • Giving the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals authority to review decisions of CSRTs.
  • Requiring that habeas corpus appeals for aliens detained at Guantanamo be per the DTA, though offers no specific provisions for it.
  • Giving immunity to goverment agents and military personnel from civil and criminal action for using interrogation techniques that "were officially authorized and determined to be lawful at the time they were conducted"

Read more about Detainee Treatment Act:  Legislative Details, Signing Statement By President Bush, Criticism

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