Guantanamo Bay: Unlawful imprisonment of 17 Uighurs continues
13 November 2008, 02:06PM
Seventeen Uighurs remain in indefinite military detention in the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. This is in spite of the fact that more than one month ago, US Federal Courrt Judge Urbina ordered their release into the USA.
The majority of the Uighurs are no longer considered “enemy combatants” by the US government and have thus been cleared for release since 2003. The Uighurs are unable to return to China because they would face a serious risk of torture and other human rights violations.
However, the US Administration refuses to grant them access and has appealed to the US Court of Appeals in order to overturn Judge Urbina’s order.
This course is particularly outrageous as various individuals and organizations are willing to support the Uighurs upon resettlement in the USA by providing housing, employment, money and education.
At Guantanamo's Camp Iguana the detainees are isolated from their families, surrounded by fencing and razor wire, monitored by armed guards and 24-hour camera surveillance.
To end their inhuman treatment, the US Administration should work to find lawful, fair, safe and lasting solutions in all their cases.
Read Amnesty International's latest report.
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