ICRC chief faults rights protection at Guantánamo

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Apr. 5 that the United States has inadequate procedures to protect the human rights of foreign detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and called for a "more robust" system to determine whether to release hundreds of men who probably will never face trial. Jakob Kellenberger said he is concerned that the processes set up at Guantánamo to assess whether detainees are "enemy combatants" and whether they should remain there indefinitely infringe on the rights of men who have no clear way of challenging their detentions. Kellenberger said the detainees should be able to appeal their detentions in a fashion similar to the use of habeas corpus. "These people are four or five years deprived of their freedom, and despite investigations, no crimes came about." Faulting the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Kellenberger said his organization has problems with any nation using hearsay evidence or evidence derived from coercion. Military prosecutors said last week that they believe they can bring charges against about 75 detainees at Guantánamo, which would leave more than 300 who may or may not ever face a trial.