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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.
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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.
