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AP. 15 April 2002. Amnesty International Condemns Treatment of Guantanamo Detainees. LONDON -- The treatment of al-Qaida and Taliban suspects at a U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay undermines human rights and may be cruel and degrading, Amnesty International asserted Monday. In a 62-page memorandum sent to the U.S. government, Amnesty also accuses Washington of flouting international law by refusing detainees access to legal counsel. "The U.S. government must ensure that all its actions in relation to those in its custody in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay comply with international law and standards," the human rights group said. "This is crucial if justice is to be done and seen to be done, and if respect for the rule of law and human rights is not to be undermined." The U.S. embassy in London declined to comment on the report. The camp has been inspected by officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Human rights groups have expressed concern that Washington is reserving the right to try the captives on its own terms and is calling them "unlawful combatants" instead of "prisoners of war" - a designation that bring them under the Geneva Convention. According to the memorandum, which was sent to Washington last week and made public Monday, U.S. authorities have refused to provide full information about the circumstances of many of the arrests, including whether they occurred in Afghanistan, Pakistan or elsewhere. Washington has "undermined the presumption of innocence through a pattern of public commentary on the presumed guilt" of the detainees and has "raised the prospect of indefinite detention without charge or trial," the memorandum states. "The U.S.A.'s pick and choose approach to the Geneva Conventions is unacceptable, as is its failure to respect fundamental international human rights standards," Amnesty said. A London-based Amnesty spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the organization was repeating a request, first made in January, for access to the camp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
