Our statement on the proposed closure of Guantanamo Bay

Sonya Sceats, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said:

“Whether or not President Obama manages to shut Guantanamo’s doors, its former and current detainees will continue to be denied closure until those individuals who perpetrated torture are held to account, and all detainees have either been charged and tried, or released. In failing to deliver this, the President has fallen disappointingly short of his pledge on Guantanamo.

The huge question that hangs over all of this is – will Congress co-operate with President Obama or will it frustrate his laudable objective to shut this infamous facility? We urge that safe countries be found quickly for the 35 detainees who have been cleared for release.

We want to see proper legal mechanisms established so that detainees and former detainees who have been tortured can seek redress, including access to specialist clinical and psychological rehabilitation services.

It is also extremely worrying that, despite the revelations of torture and cruel and degrading treatment that have taken place within Guantanamo’s walls, a number of Presidential candidates seem to have failed to learn the lesson of its events and continue to advocate the use of torture.

Guantanamo Bay should be remembered as a place where human rights were routinely violated and as a stain on the conscience of America. The most lasting memorial would be a commitment from the US Government that nothing comparable should ever be allowed to happen again.”