The statement of UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention demanding the immediate release of Ammar al-Baluchi can be made in favour of many detainees kept in the notorious detention centre of Guantanamo Bay. The detention site went operational after the invasion of Afghanistan, and hundreds of alleged militants were picked up from across the globe “to keep the world safe.”
However, in an attempt “to keep the world safe,” the US has failed miserably and attracted criticism of human rights groups and agencies for the inhumane treatment of detainees that violated many articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Even Obama failed to fulfil his promise of closing down the camp.
Moreover, the jail is not only a burden on US exchequer, but it is also a constant humiliation for the champion of human rights as the detainees go through such torture that’s beyond imagination. Not forgetting the review of Obama administration which found that probably only two dozen of the captives stood the chances of prosecution in a federal court for weak or little available evidence against the majority.
The prison aforementioned has turned into a symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention without charge or trial. The detention centre and its facilities have become emblematic of violations of natural justice. According to Amnesty International, since its establishment, only seven have been convicted for their connections with terrorist groups or involvement in terrorist activities. But even these proceedings did not meet fair trial standards as five of the convicts pleaded guilty in return for the possibility of release from the base.
And then comes Trump who wants to “load it up with some bad dudes.” Loading it with the likes of himself is not the solution. It is about time for the US policymakers to act upon the calls of UN bodies and other human rights groups to close the cell forever.