December, 21 2011, 02:58pm EDT
Advisory: Guantanamo: Ten years on, still open, still violating human rights.
On the 10th anniversary of the first detainees being transferred to Guantanamo, Amnesty International is calling on President Obama to end detentions at this notorious US prison and bring to an end this systemic attack on human rights.
In a report published ahead of the anniversary, Guantanamo: A Decade of Damage to Human Rights, Amnesty International highlights the unlawful treatment of Guantanamo detainees and outlines 10 'anti-human rights' messages the detention centre continues to send out to the world.
WASHINGTON
On the 10th anniversary of the first detainees being transferred to Guantanamo, Amnesty International is calling on President Obama to end detentions at this notorious US prison and bring to an end this systemic attack on human rights.
In a report published ahead of the anniversary, Guantanamo: A Decade of Damage to Human Rights, Amnesty International highlights the unlawful treatment of Guantanamo detainees and outlines 10 'anti-human rights' messages the detention centre continues to send out to the world.
Despite President Obama's pledge to close the Guantanamo detention facility by 22 January 2010, 171 men were being held there in mid-December 2011. At least 12 of those transferred to Guantanamo on 11 January 2002 were still held there. One of them is serving a life sentence after being convicted by a military commission in 2008. None of the other 11 has been charged.
Events on 11 January 2012
Amnesty International supporters are marking the 10th anniversary with a series of events across the world. This includes a human chain in orange jump suits stretching from the White House to Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
To request a copy of the press pack including the report: Guantanamo: A Decade of Damage to Human Rights, to arrange an interview or further details on the events taking place please contact:
Amnesty International Press Office +44 20 7413 5566
Email: press@amnesty.org Twitter:@amnestypress
The five cases highlighted in the press pack are:
- Abd Al Rahim Hussayn Muhammed Al Nashiri (Saudi Arabian national): Subjected to torture and enforced disappearance, now facing an unfair trail by military commission, and possible execution.
- Abu Zubaydah (Saudi Arabian national): Subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, and now in indefinite military custody without charge or criminal trial.
- Musa'Ab Omar Al Madhwani (Yemeni national): No accountability despite judicial finding of abuse; held without charge or trial; unsuccessful habeas corpus petition. Seeking Supreme Court review.
- Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Mauritanian national): Subjected to torture or other ill-treatment in Guantanamo, indefinite detention without charge or trial, won habeas ruling, reversed on appeal.
- Binyam Mohamed (Ethiopian national, British resident): Released from US custody, still seeking redress for human rights violations.
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
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