Situation of the prisoners in Guantanamo

Speech by Liz Lynne on Wed 31st May 2006

Madam President, I welcome the Council and Commission statements. However, the Council must now put real pressure on the American Government at the EU-US Summit next month to close down Guantánamo Bay once and for all. It must either release prisoners if there is no evidence against them, or try them under international law. Anything else will be a travesty of justice.

How many more reports do we have to read about gross violations of human rights? The latest one from the Committee Against Torture makes the point again: that torture techniques, which should be abhorrent to any decent person, are still being used. We heard these allegations from my constituent Moazzam Begg, who was released last year, and we have heard them in successive reports. We also, as you quite rightly said, need to have answers about whether dozens of children have been incarcerated there, as has been alleged recently.

The Council must be tough and not let the American Government off the hook. As far as Mr Coveney is concerned, I would say, on behalf of my group, that we would not like to see a postponement of this resolution