AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has called on the Government to accept into Ireland exonerated Guantánamo detainees unable to return to their home countries for fear of torture.
At least 25 of the 270 men still held in the US detention centre have been cleared for release or transfer.
“These are innocent men. None of these men have ever been charged with a crime by the United States, let alone convicted,” said Colm O’Gorman, director of Amnesty’s Irish branch.
“The US government has cleared them for release but having been imprisoned in Guantánamo these men face imprisonment, torture and possibly death if they are returned to their own countries.
“They have spent years of their lives in prison for crimes they never committed and can now never return home. They are victims of the frenzy of human rights violations cast as security measures imposed by the US as part of its so-called ‘war on terror’.”
One case study highlighted by Amnesty concerns Oybek Jamoldinivich Jabbarov, a 30-year-old Uzbek national who was living as a refugee in Afghanistan when he was captured in 2001. Despite being cleared for release, he remains at Guantánamo because he cannot safely be returned to Uzbekistan. Mr O’Gorman urged the Government to accept one or more of the detainees, saying it could lead by example in “protecting the human rights and human dignity of these innocent victims” being the first country to do so.
“The Irish Government, by permitting the use of Shannon airport to planes involved in the extraordinary renditions programme, must bear some responsibility for the human rights black hole that is Guantánamo. It can provide an example to others by now being part of the solution,” he said.
Amnesty’s call was echoed by German-born Murat Kurnaz, who spent over four years in Guantánamo despite US military intelligence admitting there was no “definite evidence” linking him to al-Qaeda or any other terrorist activity. Mr Kurnaz’s detention was prolonged partly because German authorities refused to allow him to return.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said officials had discussed the proposal in a meeting with Amnesty representatives and Mr Kurnaz.