Today the UN released their latest report on Guantanamo "Technical Visit to the United States and Guantánamo Detention Facility by the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism." Link to the report is here. The report is comprehensive and addresses some of the issues that have come up with the men that have been transferred out of Guantanamo. It also addresses some of the problems of the men who are still being held.
The US responded briefly to the report. "Brief" being one of the two key words. It is one page. The other key word is "dishonest." I am looking for a link to the response but I will quote:
"The Biden Administration has made significant progress towards responsibly reducing the detainee population and closing the Guantanamo facility. Ten individuals have been transferred out of Guantanamo since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration - one-quarter of the population we inherited - and we are actively working to find suitable locations for those remaining detainees eligible for transfer."
So where should we start? First, there was nothing responsible about reducing the detainee population by sending my client to Algeria with no firm commitment on the part of the Algerian government that he would be treated fairly and humanely.... that is unless the US thinks it is fair and humane to send him to prison in Algeria after more than 20 years in prison at Guantanamo.
Second, the Biden- Harris administration did not find a suitable location for my client. In fact, they completely dropped the ball, unless of course the administration thinks prison is a suitable location.
On Friday, the state department confirmed for me:
1. That they have no control over what the Algerians are doing to my client and they have no way of enforcing the assurances made by the Algerians that my client would be treated humanely;
2. That they will do nothing to help facilitate my travel to Algeria to confirm my clients treatment;
3. That they hope things will work out but there is nothing they can or will do.
Apparently, significant progress to the State department means offshoring the men to other countries in a constructive custody arrangement. From the prison at Guantanamo to a prison in Algeria and to other unknown prisons to be determined.
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