23 Jan 2012

GUANTANAMO / HUMAN RIGHTS

The UN Human Rights Office expressed its disappointment today over the failure by the U.S. government to close Guantanamo Bay prison. Spokesman for the Office Rupert Colville said that although there have been some “improvements” on the conditions there “it is still not possible for external human rights monitoring to take place.” OHCHR

Posted at: January 23, 2012 4:28 pm

Duration: 02:31

Available in: SD

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STORY: GUANTANAMO / HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 2.31
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE:  23 JANUARY 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, Palais Wilson UN Human Rights Headquarters
2. Set up shot, Spokesperson Rupert Colville at the Headquarters
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, United Nations Human Rights Office:
"There are a number of issues relating to Guantanamo Bay really for the whole of the ten year period it's been open.  But some of them are getting worse, mainly the fact that people are detained there indefinitely, effectively; secondly this idea of indefinite military detention in Guantanamo Bay detention centre has now been codified into United States law at the end of December.  So that, effectively is building it into the US legal system. In our view that is actually running against international law.  And thirdly, there has been no real accountability for some of the extreme excesses, especially torture that took place at Guantanamo Bay during the early years.
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, United Nations Human Rights Office:
"Another part of president Obama's executive orders when he first came to office was to improve conditions at Guantanamo, and there have been some successes there, however it is still not possible for external human rights monitoring to take place. The UN Special rapporteurs, these are independent with specific mandates, have not been allowed into Guantanamo to have for example unsupervised interviews with detainees, to reassure themselves precisely about what is going on.  We do believe a lot has improved but there is still a lack of transparency, and there are still reports of some excesses taking place."
5. Wide shot, exterior of the Palais Wilson
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, United Nations Human Rights Office:
"First and foremost Guantanamo Bay must be closed, it has been a terrible blot on the record of the United States. It's in contravention of a whole range of human rights norms and standards, that one would expect a country like the United States to uphold. Also a very key issue is torture, the International Convention Against torture is extremely clear; torture is not permitted under any circumstances whatsoever, any conditions, and any exceptional situations.  It is very much agreed now that torture did take place in Guantanamo but there's never been a full transparent impartial investigation and we believe that should happen as well."

STORYLINE:

The United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR) office expressed its disappointment today over the failure by the United States (US) government to close Guantanamo Bay prison and reiterated its call that the prison must be closed.

In an interview today in Geneva, OHCHR's spokesperson Rupert Colville said that some of the issues relating to Guantanamo Bay Prison were getting worse, saying the fact that people were detained there "indefinitely, effectively."

He said that the idea of "indefinite military detention" at Guantanamo Bay had been codified into US law at the end of December, so that "effectively is building it into the US legal system in our view that is actually running against international law."

Colville said there had been no real accountability for some of the extreme excesses, "especially torture that took place at Guantanamo Bay during the early years."

He said that US President Barack Obama's executive order when he took office (2009) was to improve conditions at Guantanamo, however, he said it was still not possible for external human rights monitoring to take place.

Colville also noted that the Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre was in contravention of a whole range of human rights norms and standards.

He said, "first and foremost Guantanamo Bay must be closed, it has been a terrible blot on the record of the United States."

Noting that a key issue was torture and that the international convention against torture was "extremely" clear in stating that torture was not permitted under any circumstances, Colville said that it had been agreed that torture did take place in Guantanamo but "there's never been a full transparent impartial investigation and we believe that should happen as well."