THE Biden administration has launched a formal review regarding future of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with the goal of reviving efforts to close this highly controversial facility. There have been consistent calls on part of various human rights organisations to shut down the prison but unfortunately nothing so far could bring down the curtain on this notorious facility.
There is no denying the fact that very existence of this prison is a disgrace for the United States and international community as a whole. Every year, the US itself publishes a number of reports on state of human and religious rights in other countries yet abuses that have been committed at the Guantanamo Prison remains a blot on US human rights record and shows its double standard. Set up to house foreign suspects following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, the facility symbolises torture, abuse, inhumane treatment and indefinite detention without charge or trial. In 2003, the facility was holding 700 prisoners. Today, 40 detainees still remain, but only nine of them have been charged with or convicted of crimes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated health vulnerabilities for increasingly elderly prison population. Most recently, the UN human rights experts also appealed to the US authorities to prosecute, in full compliance with human rights law, individuals or immediately release or repatriate them. Also former President Barrack Obama had many a times made a commitment to close the prison. In fact back in 2009, on his third day in office, President Obama had issued an order in this regard but it could not materialise.
Then, during the election campaign, Biden continued to support the closing of detention centre. Time has come that President Biden fulfills his own as well as commitment of his former boss Barrack Obama. Before dictating others, it is also imperative for Washington to fulfil its own international legal obligations. Going a step further, human rights abuses carried out at Guantanamo bay must also be investigated and those who endured prolonged arbitrary detention or any form of maltreatment be provided with compensation.
As Dr Aafia Siddiqui, convicted back in 2010, has also signed the mercy petition, Biden administration must also immediately order her release and repatriation to Pakistan.
