UN Expert Denounces US Torture of Guantánamo Detainees

After visiting the prison on Monday, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, called for its closure and said that the U.S. should apologize and compensate the victims of torture at the facility.

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On this occasion, the Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism met with some of the detainees, returnees, and resettled detainees, as well as with their families. At a press conference, Ní Aoláin said that inmates "live with constant harm as a result of systematic practices of surrender, torture, and arbitrary detention".

According to the official, the center resorts to practices that violate human rights. Ní Aoláin mentioned near-constant surveillance, forced cell transfers, and improper use of restraints, in addition to deficiencies in health care and inadequate access to family.

The U.S. Naval Base prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, opened in January 2002, during the presidency of George W. Bush (2001–2009) and currently houses 30 people. The expert said that "it is still a priority to close this facility."

Ní Aoláin called on the U.S. government to ensure accountability for all violations of international law, both for victims of counter-terrorism and for victims of terrorism. "The time has come to undo the legacies of exception and discrimination perpetuated by the continued existence of Guantánamo," he said. 

The UN expert's visit focused on the rights of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the rights of detainees at the Guantánamo detention facility, and the rights of former detainees.

With regard to former detainees, the special rapporteur denounced serious deficiencies in the provision of  fundamental guarantees, including identity law, health care, education, housing, family reunification, and freedom of movement. The U.S. government does not have an adequate system in place to care for the welfare of transferred persons, said Ní Aoláin.

The Irish lawyer is the first UN human rights expert to visit the detention center since its opening. She praised the U.S. government's green light and noted that she was given access to all the places she requested.