US criticised for not shutting Guantanamo
United Nations human rights investigators criticised the US today for failing to take steps to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects, which they say facilitates torture and violates international law.
The rights experts, who report to the global body’s top human rights watchdog, renewed their call for Guantanamo to be closed and criticised the administration of US President George Bush for a proposed law they said might permit torture in certain circumstances.
The United States responded by saying it would like to one day close Guantanamo but first needs to find alternative means of protection from suspected terrorists.
It criticised the allegations as poorly established and said detainees are treated humanely.
“We note with the greatest concern that the government has not taken any steps to close Guantanamo,” the rights experts said in a joint statement read out by Algerian Leila Zerrougui, a specialist on arbitrary detention.
“Indeed, a new block has been built and is set to open this month.”
The experts were presenting to the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council their report on Guantanamo.
