AI’s Guantanamo campaigner visited the Human Rights House

The approximately 550 detainees currently held in Guantánamo represent at least 32 different nationalities, said Critoph, with the usueal suspects, seen from a US point of view, like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria and Sudan among those with the largest contingencies of inmates. In addition, though, there are also people being held holding passports from the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Australia, the People´s Republic of China and Russia.

-Who are you to tell me what to do?
-The destiny of the detainees aside, said Critoph, the worst consequence of Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo, is clearly that the US, through its well documented behaviour in those two places have set a standard for others to follow. Critoph provided numerous quotes from government representatives of several different countries, all to the effect of saying that ?if you behave like that, who are you to tell my government not to?. The US has, in other words, contributed to a major setback in the international respect of what ought to be universally observed human rights.

Many-facetted campaign
In addition to securing fair trials or the release of as many Guantánamo inmates as possible, AI?s campaign on this issue also seeks to ensure humane treatment while stil imprisoned, and also access to independent lawyers free to take up each and every individual case. So far, AI has only had the capacity to investigate fully and raise six such cases. AI also supports the families of the inmates, deal with a number of case-specific issues, put pressure on the US government and the home governments of the inmates, and support activists working for the same goals in the inmates? home countries. Through all these different activities, finally, AI also seeks to raise media and public concern on the whole Guantánamo issue.