EU urged to act over X-Ray Taliban suspects

Date: 03/10/02

A CAMPAIGN group has called on the EU to intervene to end the plight of Taliban suspects being held by the US authorities at Camp X-Ray in Cuba.

Fair Trials Abroad has sent an open letter to Denmark, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, to press the US to either put the detainees on trial or release them.

The group's director, Stephen Jakobi, said: 'The prisoners' plight is quite extraordinary and, so far as we are aware, without parallel in the civilised world.

'As we understand matters, there are no plans for either releasing them or trying them and they are being kept in limbo. It is now getting on for a year since the first of them were captured.

'Surely after so long the time is right for an EU presidential initiative to clarify the status of these citizens and persuade the US authorities of the wisdom in dealing with them under international rule of law.'

EU citizens, including Swedes, French and Britons, are among the 300 detainees being held at Camp X-Ray. Some have been there since January when the camp first opened.

Their treatment has provoked international concern, but the US maintains the detainees are being treated humanely.

A campaign group has called on the EU to intervene to end the plight of Taliban suspects being held by the US authorities at Camp X-Ray in Cuba.

http://www.f-t-a.freeserve.co.uk/press/releases/2002/campdelta300902.htm http://www.f-t-a.freeserve.co.uk/press/releases/2002/campdelta300902.htm

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