Russia accuses
U.S. of violating international law
MOSCOW, January 15.—"The situation
in the Guantánamo detention center is a serious
violation of international norms and rights," states
the Russian Foreign Ministry in a report published
on its official website.
According to Russia Today,
the document refers to prisoners detained in a
"legal vacuum," with no idea as to their future. "In
contemporary history, there is no precedent for such
a situation," it notes.
The Russian Foreign Ministry adds
that during its 10 years in operation, the U.S.
special prison housed 779 detainees who were not
considered prisoners of war. Approximately 600 of
them were held there for very long periods without
any charges being brought against them. Eight
prisoners died and six were sentenced by a Military
Commission.
AP notes that the Ministry also
criticized the National Defense Authorization Act
signed by President Barack Obama on December 31,
2011, which contains an article allowing indefinite
military detention without trial, sustaining that
the act contradicts U.S. obligations to conform to
humanitarian international law.
During his electoral campaign, Obama
promised to close the prison before January 1, 2010.
However, four years have passed and he still has not
fulfilled that commitment.
