Obama's win opens door to human rights action
Monday 19 November 2012
Printable
EmailThe re-election of Barack Obama gives new hope that he will now fulfil the pledges he gave in his first term of office to close Guantanamo and return the US to the rule of law.
More than half of the 166 remaining prisoners in Guantanamo face no charges or trial and have been cleared for transfer by the US administration and therefore should be released immediately.
Amnesty International USA security and human rights campaign director Zete Johnson has renewed the demand for President Obama to:
- Close Guantanamo and end indefinite detention and unfair military commission trials.
- Immediately release British resident Shaker Aamer who is on the list of 55 detainees publicly cleared for transfer out of the prison. He stated: "The UK government has repeatedly called for him to be released to his wife and children in London and the UK appears to meet the congressional certification requirements of the National Defence Authorisation Act 2012 for his transfer back to the UK."
- Work with the Congress to ensure that the transfer restrictions in the Act are not renewed next year.
All of us have a unique opportunity to work together to demand that President Obama recommit the US to its universal international human rights obligations.
The whole world needs the US to stop violating human rights, restore the rule of law, end the tragedy of Guantanamo - which will forever symbolise abuse and torture stop extra-judicial executions - by drones and support a global ban on the irresponsible transfer of conventional arms across the world.
Now is the time for real change.
Joy Hurcombe
Worthing
If you appreciated this article then please consider donating to the Morning Star's Fighting Fund to ensure we can keep developing your paper.
