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Guantanamo a Symbol of Human Rights Violations

Havana, Jan 14, 2006. (Prensa Latina) Four years after starting to receive its first prisoners, the illegal US base of Guantanamo, in eastern Cuba, has become a symbol of torture and violation of human rights, Granma daily said.

In an extensive commentary on the issue, the daily said that since Jan 2002, when it became an international prison, the so-called Gitmo has broadened its capacities and currently holds 500 prisoners from about 30 countries.

The fourth anniversary of the facility comes amid a scandal over US clandestine prisons in East Europe and other places, where interrogation methods first tried in Guantanamo were applied, the paper added.

A photo of hooded, chained detainees ready to be sent to the facility accompanies the article which describes the place as the final destination of every detainee held clandestinely by the US.

After recalling that the order to apply practices that violate UN principles was given by top officials in the US administration of George W. Bush, the paper highlighted the hunger strike staged by dozens of prisoners as a protest.

Granma referred to denunciations by UN Special Rapporteur for Torture Manfred Nowak over cruel methods applied in the base to feed strikers by force, making them bleed and vomit.

Despite numerous efforts, the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights was not able to verify the situation of the detainees as it was denied any direct contact with them.

The daily said that in order to silence the press, Bush summoned main US media executives to a meeting so as to gain time and close some of these illegal facilities.

Probably, detainees transferred from the closed facilities ended up in Guantanamo, chained and hooded, like those who christened the place in Jan, 2002.

 

 

 

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