human rights: global perspective tom paolucci andrew haldeman

Human Rights: Global Perspective

Tom Paolucci

Andrew Haldeman

North America

Prisoners Rights at Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay: Introduction

• “Gitmo” as it is called was taken over by the US in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

• It was leased by Cuba to the US for $2000/yr.• It is a 45 square mile territory separated by miles

of razor-wire fence, Cuban minefields, and guards in towers with machine guns.

• It has it’s own water system and desalinization plant.

• U.S. Naval Base

During the war in Afghanistan many prisoners were taken and housed in a US military camp at

Guantanamo Bay.

They were placed there to be interrogated by US officials.

Flight to “Gitmo”

• The detainees boarded C-17 aircraft for their flight to Gitmo.

• They were chained to their seats.

• They were barred from using the toilets, with special provisions being made so they didn’t have to get up.

• They were shaved from head to toe.

Flight to “Gitmo” Cont.

• The passengers were drugged with Valium as to not pose a threat.

• They weren’t allowed to move at all during the 8000 mile (15 hr.) flight.

Arrival and Detainment

• They step off the plane one by one, dressed in turquoise blue face masks, orange ski caps and fluorescent orange jumpsuits, their hands in manacles.

• US officials frisk each detainee and if they resisted or fell to their knees they were picked up by their necks.

Detainment

• They are then photographed, fingerprinted, interrogated, and possibly tortured.

• As photographs have shown they are then placed on their knees facing a fence, still with shackles, handcuffs, and ski masks over their faces.

• They are then led through the maze of chain link fences, guard towers, and razor wire to their cells.

Detainment Cont.

• Their “cells” are individual 6 by 8 foot cages.

• The cells are protected from the elements only by a metal roof.

• Anyone can see, quite clearly, into the cells because the walls are made of chain link fence.

Detainment Cont.

• Inside the cells the detainees have buckets for toilets and a foam mat to sleep on.

• They have two towels on for bathing and the other to pray on.

• There is no privacy as the compound is lit up by arc-lights so the guards can see a prisoners every move.

• By the end of the day there is a faint smell of sewage and chemicals that drifts from the prison.

Cont.

• They are not officially charged with crimes but are not being released (as in the American penal system).

• Their “lawyers” are also restricted from a lot of the prosecution’s evidence for it could give away military secrets.

How can this happen?

• The prisoners are not considered prisoners at all. They’re officially called detainees.

• Because they are not prisoners of war (POWs) they are not granted the same treatment as set forth by the Geneva Convention.

• If they were POWs they would only be required to give their name, rank, serial number, and date of birth as opposed to photographs and fingerprints.

Questions?

THE END