Nations must take Gitmo inmates: UN

6 Jan 2009, 7:06 am   -   Source: AAP
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More nations must take in Guantanamo inmates once the US-run prison closes, the UN's torture investigator has said.

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More nations must take in Guantanamo inmates once the US-run prison closes, the UN's torture investigator said on Monday, insisting that many were held simply because they were "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Manfred Nowak told Austrian radio he hoped more countries would set aside their misgivings and show solidarity with the incoming government of president-elect Barack Obama, who has vowed to shut the detention centre in eastern Cuba.

Most European nations have refused to accept Guantanamo inmates, citing national security concerns. Nowak told public broadcaster ORF he understands their reluctance, "since the US government for many years represented (the prisoners) as the most dangerous ever captured."

Yet many are harmless, Nowak said, appealing to EU nations to think of them as refugees and treat them as though they had fled persecution and gone directly to Europe to seek safe haven.

"Many (detainees) were clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time, and simply fell into the hands of Pakistani bounty hunters paid by the Americans," Nowak said. "They had nothing to do with September 11."

Officials from France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland have all recently said they are looking into accepting detainees from the US prison, and Albania and Sweden acknowledge they have already taken in a few inmates.

But Australia said on Saturday it had twice rejected a US request to do so, and Britain said it hadn't yet been asked.

Julia Gillard, speaking as acting prime minister on Saturday, said the Australian government had advised the US that Australia would not resettle inmates being held at Guantanamo Bay as terror suspects.

It was the second request made to Australia to take some of the detainees, around 60 of whom cannot be repatriated in their home countries.

She said the resettlement requests were considered on a case by case basis, but they were rejected because they did not meet Australia's "stringent national security and immigration criteria".

Nowak pressed his own country, Austria, to take in some of the roughly 250 prisoners still held - even though the government has ruled that out.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has called for proposals for transferring the remaining detainees, amid concerns that some could be persecuted if sent back to their home nations.

Most come from Yemen, but others are from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Afghanistan, Chad, China and Saudi Arabia.

Some have been held without charge since the prison camp opened in 2002 to hold so-called "enemy combatants" accused of links to the al-Qaeda terror network or the Taliban.

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Your Comments

Never Forget

Bob - from Wollongong, 3 years ago

Let the American Dogs clean up their own mess, what state of mind will these victims of years of torture be in? Why should we pay for a lifetime of medical treatment to repair these damaged creatures when those who caused the damage walk away scott free! It will take America at least one hundred years to live down the abomination that is Guantanimo and to repair their reputation. We will remember names like Aushwitz, Buchenwald, Woomera, Abu Graib and Guantanamo for the rest of our lives.

WHAT A NERVE!

Ted Deez - from baulkham Hills NSW, 3 years ago

I thought that the best Prime Minister this country ever had, John Howard, hade it quite clear: "WE choose who we want in this country" Not the incumbent United Nations. If they are sent here without the consent of the people, and against the best advice not to, then let them take up residence with Kevin & Julia Rudd at Kirrabilli House.

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