9/11 victims' families denounce Guantanamo trials

London, Dec 12 (ANI): Thirty-three relatives of people killed in the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Centre have denounced the Guantanamo trials of the alleged plotters as "unfair and un-American".

The victims' family members signed a letter released by the American Civil Liberties Union, which claimed the military trials were politically motivated, The Telegraph reported.

The letter, posted on the ACLU's website, said: "Many of us do not believe these military commissions to be fair, in accordance with American values, or capable of achieving the justice that 9/11 families members and all Americans deserve."

They said the prosecutions were designed to ensure "quick convictions" and "prevent the revelation of abusive interrogations and torture" by the US military.

The letter was a direct response to comments made by other victims' relatives, who said the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba was justified, the paper said.

On Monday, a group of nine relatives were allowed for the first time to watch the pre-trial hearings of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men facing multiple murder charges.

Some of them later told reporters they supported the proceedings at Guantanamo and called on Barack Obama to ensure the men behind the terror attacks received justice.

The five suspects surprised their pre-trial hearing by announcing that they wanted to abandon their defence and confess to charges that could lead to their execution. (ANI)