Following her visit to the Guantanamo detention center in Cuba, the UN special rapporteur for human rights and counter-terrorism, Fionnuala N Aoláin, denounced on Monday that the treatment of the last 30 detainees is “cruel, inhuman, and degrading.” While acknowledging some improvements at the detention center, her report highlights constant surveillance, forced extractions from cells, excessive use of restraints, a lack of adequate medical care, and limited access to families, as well as arbitrary detentions that violate the right to a fair trial.
N Aoláin emphasized that all these practices and deficiencies have a cumulative effect and aggravate the dignity, freedom, and fundamental rights of each detainee, constituting cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment under international law. It also urged the closure of the detention center, considering it a priority.
Independent UN human rights experts have sought permission to access this military prison since it opened in 2002 to house detainees from the “war on terror” following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The prison has been the subject of international criticism for alleged human rights violations, illegal detentions, and torture that have allegedly been carried out there.
The United States expressed its “disagreement” with many of the report’s assertions and stated that detainees receive medical care and have regular communication with their families. However, N Aoláin maintains that much remains to be done to respect the reparation rights of 9/11 victims. The report highlights that the practice of torture in “blind sites” such as Guantanamo is a major obstacle to victims’ rights to justice.
The Special Rapporteur called for the US government to be held accountable for violations of international law and stressed the importance of providing apologies, comprehensive care, and guarantees of non-repetition for all victims.