F Y I - WHAT'S HAPPENING?
The Guantanamo Prison Camp –
Time to Close It!
A Symbol of Injustice
and a National Disgrace
Since January 2002, hundreds of men,
including young teenagers, have been transported to the USA’s prison
camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Administration claims that there they are not bound by US Law,
and under no obligation to provide its rights to the prisoners.
After more than five years most are still held without charge, and without
the US Constitution’s right to appeal their detention. According to Amnesty International and other organizations,
their detention is illegal.
Reacting to international
outrage the Administration now says it will charge some 70 of these
prisoners through Military Commissions, though the Supreme Court has ruled
that their procedures are not sufficient to guarantee a fair trial. The
other 300 or more prisoners will continue to be held with very limited
access to legal help.
A Military Commission can
convict (and condemn to death!) using secret evidence that is withheld
from the accused, and can use information obtained by torture.
Its sentence, even one of death, cannot be appealed to any court!
The first few such “trials” have now been held.
Prisoners are held for many years (many for five years as of now) in
isolation, suffering sensory deprivation, cut off from human (including
family) contact, In maximum security cells.
Many have been tortured to extract information, which could not be
used in a legitimate trial and is of doubtful if any intelligence use.
There have been recent hunger strikes and suicides at Guantanamo.
Elders
for Peace says: Close Guantanamo and Repeal the Military Commissions Act!
must be charged or freed now;
 | Those
charged must be transferred to federal prison and given fair trials in
US Federal Courts; |
| Until
its closure, the International Red Cross or another ombudsman must
have full and open access to Guantanamo to investigate and publicly
report on the conditions under which prisoners are being held and
treated; |
| Congress
must repeal the Military Commissions Act as incompatible with American
values and legal principles. |
