U.N. Rights Boss Calls for Closure of Gitmo ("indefinite incarceration 'clear breach of law'")

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

@Reuters: UN Rights Chief Pillay calls for closure of Guantanamo prison saying indefinite incarceration "clear breach of international law" #breaking

U.N. rights boss calls for closure of Guantanamo prison

Fri Apr 5, 2013 10:04am EDT

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations' top human rights official called on U.S. authorities on Friday to close down the Guantanamo prison camp, saying the indefinite imprisonment of many detainees without charge or trial violated international law.

Navi Pillay said the hunger strike being carried out by some inmates at the facility in southeastern Cuba was a "desperate act" but it was "scarcely surprising".

"We must be clear about this: the United States is in clear breach not just of its own commitments but also of international laws and standards that it is obliged to uphold," she said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9340IU20130405

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

The US doesn't care about things like breaching its own commitments or international laws.

If it did...well, everyone knows the rest.

[pmorlan1]

2. Shameful!

I'm sure glad we didn't elect a Republican president.

[xiamiam]

3. dont understand why this doesn't have more attention

these phony wars and gitmo are the reason for chained cpi...everyone is in a huff about social security..me too, i'm a senior..but its the friggin immoral and illegal war and policies that we allow to be committed in our names that is destroying us..from within

[naaman fletcher]

5. oh come on

we know perfectly well why it doesn't have more attention

[Tx4obama]

4. Kick! n/t

[sikofit3]

6. It is sickening

Gitmo has to go, it is inhumane and illegal! Didn't POTUS say that he was going to close this during his first election???

[TwilightGardener]

8. Ask Congress why they refuse to fund the movement and processing of detainees.

No processing of detainees, no closure of Gitmo. Gotta put them SOMEWHERE, right?

[sikofit3]

13. Yes this is true!

Absolutely, however, why do we have to put them somewhere? None of them have had a trial and I am willing to bet most of them are innocent and will be returned back to their countries free, but damaged forever and probably mentally ill from their illegal cruel detention. But yes, you are right but they should all have lawyers and access to speedy trials.

[bemildred]

7. The Emperor has no clothes. nt

[lovuian]

9. this is not Bush's presidency but Obama

Obama's promise seems to be only words

His actions are a violation of human rights law
Gitmo must be closed

[struggle4progress]

10. Congress blocked the President's efforts to close Guantanamo Bay

To close the facility, you might want to organize some pressure on your Senators or Representative

[One_Life_To_Give]

14. Indefinate detention without Charge or Trial

Those do not require the Transfer of detainees to the US itself which is what has been blocked. Providing a trial is the least we expect anywhere in the world.

[struggle4progress]

15. Since the Bushistas set up Guantanamo Bay partly as a propaganda move, and were rather

careless about who was imprisoned there, as well as how some were treated, the 166 or so detainees remaining in detention there present a spectrum of legal issues

Some seem to be legally in the position of prisoners of war, in part due to a political consensus in the US that the response to the events of 11 September 2001 should be regarded requiring as a military rather than criminal response.

About a third of the detainees, not so regarded, do not face any prosecution whatsoever and could be released if the US could find a country to accept them: this has, however, been a problem in many cases.

Another thirty, who also do not face prosecution, would be returned to Yemen, except for issues regarding Yemen:

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is suspending the repatriation of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to Yemen, where a deteriorating security situation driven by a branch of al-Qaeda has stoked fears that detainees could join -- or rejoin -- the terrorist organization if released ...
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2010-01-05/world/36778253_1_yemeni-detainees-guantanamo-bay-guantanamo-prison
Return of Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo Bay is suspended
By Peter Finn,January 05, 2010

In at least one case, the courts have blocked resettlement in the US:

... the president of Palau, Johnson Toribiong, said .. his country had "agreed to accommodate the United States of America's request to temporarily resettle in Palau up to 17 ethnic Uighur detainees". The 17 Uighur men, however, were cleared of charges of being combatants last year, and a federal district court ordered that they should be released in the United States. But an appeals court overturned that decision and Republican politicians argue that they pose too much of a threat to be given liberty to reside in the US. The US justice department has blocked moves to resettle them on the US mainland, where they had been offered a home by refugee and Christian organisations. The men have remained in legal limbo ever since ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/10/palau-guantanamo-detainees-housed
Palau to resettle 17 Guantánamo detainees
Pacific island nation will receive development funds and aid worth up to $200m in return, US official says
Jonathan Watts in Beijing and agencies
Wednesday 10 June 2009 04.58 EDT

[mpcamb]

11. U.N. 'Rights Boss'... Interesting phrasing.

Figure it's intended to further irritate those with anti-U.N. sentiments.

[cqo_000]

12. CCR Calls Out President for Refusing to Use His Power to Transfer Men Out of Island Prison

...Ms. Pillay raises concerns about the obstacles the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) has created for the closure of the prison camp, but there is no doubt that the president does have the power to transfer men out of Guantanamo under the NDAA’s national security waiver, he just refuses to do so. President Obama must stop blaming Congress and trying to have it both ways by claiming he wants to close Guantanamo but his hands are tied because it is simply not true.

http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/light-of-hunger-strike-un-condemns-guantánamo-breach-of-international-law,-urges-closure

[AtomicKitten]

17. and transfer them where?

Senate votes to prohibit Guantánamo detainee transfers to US
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/270239-senate-votes-to-prohibit-gitmo-detainee-transfers-to-us

and with what funds?

Senate Votes To Block Funds For Guantanamo Closure
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/20/senate-votes-to-block-fun_n_205797.html

[forestpath]

16. K&R