GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE (Sputnik), Joanne Stocker — The US military must grant the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Torture meaningful access to investigate allegations of torture at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Connell told reporters at a press conference at the military base.
"At this time, it is one person’s word against another, but it should not be, and that is why we have filed a motion on behalf of [detainee] Mr. [Ammar] al-Baluchi to require JTF-Gitmo [Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay] to fulfill the United States’ responsibilities for inspection by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, the world’s leading expert on prison conditions in confinement," Connell stated.
On Thursday, Guantanamo detainee Guleed Hassan Dourad testified before the US war court that he and other detainees are subjected to near-daily mental torture inside Camp 7 at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
Connell explained on Friday that US officials have officially invited Mendez to the military base but the conditions they imposed on his visit, including limiting his access to facilities and detainees, does not fulfill his UN mandate.
However, Mendez has agreed to limit his visit to the five men charged in the September 11 cases, Connell stated.
In its response to the defense motion, the US government asserted that any issues with confinement at Guantanamo Bay should be under the authority of Joint Task Force Gitmo.
