EU governments urged to accept Guantánamo Bay prisoners

EU Member states have come under fresh pressure to accept inmates from the US prison in Guantánamo Bay.

The demand follows news that new US president Barack Obama was expected to sign an executive order on Thursday, paving the way for the prison to close within a year.

A draft order circulated on Wednesday also called for a halt to the military trials in the prison, where terror suspects had been held for years without trial.

Separate orders are expected to ban abusive interrogations and review the detention of terror suspects.

The growing clamour for EU nations to accept some of the prisoners was led by Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialist group in parliament.

The German MEP said, "The Obama administration has started on the right foot by announcing the closure within a year of this outrageous detention camp. This sends a powerful message to the Muslim world and is a welcome step forward.
 
"EU governments must now play their part and support Obama's decision by accepting inmates."

His comments were partly echoed by Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg, a member of the civil liberties committee,  who said, "I am delighted that Obama's first decision as president has been to close the camp.

“This delivers on his promise of change and sends a positive signal on respect for human rights throughout the world.
 
“Many European countries were only too ready to assist 'extraordinary renditions' of prisoners to Guantánamo.

“They must now also assume their responsibilities in ensuring the fair and safe treatment of prisoners as they are transferred from the camp. It may be possible to release some prisoners or transfer them to countries elsewhere without great difficulty.

“Others may prove more complex cases and it may be inappropriate to return them to their countries of origin. For example, the Uyghurs and Muslims from China can neither go to the US nor return to their country, where they could face torture. Europe could help to find a solution for such detainees.”

She went on, “Wherever possible, Europe must support the process to close Guantánamo. Portugal has already signalled a willingness to play its part and I call on all EU foreign ministers to act quickly, decisively and responsibly on this issue when they meet on Monday in Brussels."

Further reaction to Obama’s decision came from a coalition of human rights organisations which has also called on Monday's meeting to offer “humanitarian protection to detainees who risk torture or persecution at home.”

A letter -  signed by Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, La Federation internationale des ligues droits de l'Homme (FIDH), and Reprieve – has been sent to the ministers.

It says, “We welcome this development as a positive step and express the hope that it heralds quick movement toward the closure of Guantánamo.”

But the group's emphasise that the Obama administration will “need the help of European governments” to implement any plan to close the prison camp.

Of the 250 detainees still at Guantánamo nearly seven years after the prison camp opened, they claim that approximately 60 men could face torture or persecution if returned to their home countries, and at least one is stateless.

The letter adds, “The US may decide to admit some of the men to the US mainland, but the remaining detainees need humanitarian protection in other countries where they will be safe.

"Amnesty International hopes that as a result of this meeting EU member states will send a common message on their willingness to help close Guantánamo, and - most important - follow it up with concrete action to find homes for detainees who cannot be returned to their countries of origin," said Nicolas Beger, director of the charity’s EU office.

Meanwhile, Thomas Hammarberg, commissioner for human rights for the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, also says Europe should “open its doors” to the detainees.

He said, “While the US has created the problem and has the primary responsibility for correcting the injustices, there are cogent arguments for European assistance in closing the centre as soon as possible.

“To achieve this goal, Council of Europe member states should stand ready to accept a few of the small number of remaining detainees cleared for release and currently stuck in limbo.”

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