The Guantanamo jail camp has come to symbolise the brutality of the US’s so-called ‘battle on terror’.
Prisoners who’ve been held for years by the USA on the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are displaying indicators of “accelerated ageing”, a senior official of the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross (ICRC) has mentioned.
Patrick Hamilton, the ICRC’s head of delegation for the US and Canada, mentioned on Friday that the “bodily and psychological well being wants are rising and turning into more and more difficult” for these nonetheless imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.
“We’re calling on the US administration and Congress to work collectively to search out satisfactory and sustainable options to handle these points,” Hamilton mentioned in a assertion.
“Motion ought to be taken as a matter of precedence.”
The Guantanamo jail camp in Cuba was established by US Republican Social gathering President George W Bush in 2002 to deal with international suspects following the 2001 airplane assaults on New York and the Pentagon, which killed some 3,000 individuals.
The camp got here to symbolise the brutality of the US’s so-called “battle on terror” due to harsh interrogation strategies that critics have mentioned amounted to torture.
Hamilton’s feedback on the well being of the prisoners got here after a go to to the ability in March following a 20-year hiatus. He mentioned he was “struck by how those that are nonetheless detained right this moment are experiencing the signs of accelerated ageing, worsened by the cumulative results of their experiences and years spent in detention”.
I lately returned from Guantanamo for the primary time since 2003. It’s clear to me that with the passage of time the inhabitants is quickly ageing and their wants have developed. See the total assertion right here: https://t.co/NQdIqiycDc
— Patrick Hamilton (@PHamiltonICRC) April 21, 2023
He known as for detainees to obtain satisfactory psychological and bodily healthcare in addition to extra frequent household contact.
The US defence division “is at the moment reviewing the report”, a Pentagon spokesperson advised the Reuters information company.
There have been 40 detainees at Guantanamo when US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, took workplace in 2021. The Biden administration has mentioned it desires to shut the ability however has not introduced a plan for doing so. About 30 detainees stay on the jail.
Two Pakistani brothers held at Guantanamo Bay with out trial for greater than 20 years had been freed by the US in February and returned house. Abdul, 55, and Mohammed Rabbani, 53, had been reunited with their households after a proper questioning by Pakistani authorities.
Hamilton known as on Washington to resolve the destiny of the detainees, urging motion to switch out these eligible.
