Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 55: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the present impasse in relation to the proposed visit of UN human rights monitors to Guantanamo Bay prison camp; and his views on the conditionality being imposed by the persons who operate the prison. [33540/05]

Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 86: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the correspondence he has had with the International Committee of the Red Cross in relation to prisoners in Guantanamo Bay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33493/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 86 together.

While regular contact is maintained with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, through our Permanent Mission in Geneva and Washington Embassy, there has been no specific correspondence between myself and the ICRC on the subject of the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. The ICRC has visited the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay on a regular basis since early 2002, with a view to seeking to ensure that persons held there are treated in accordance with applicable international laws and standards. The ICRC conducts all of its work on visiting prisoners in confidence.

Regarding the proposed visit of UN special rapporteurs to Guantanamo Bay, the US has extended an invitation to visit the prisoners detained there to the special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the chairperson-rapporteur of the working group on arbitrary detention.

In this connection, the special rapporteurs have insisted that the US allows them free access to all detainees and the opportunity to carry out private interviews with them. It is my understanding that the US Government has not yet officially responded to this call, but there are reports that it is reluctant to accede to these requests.

I urge the US Government to give positive consideration to the request of the special rapporteurs, in order to allow them to carry out a full and fair assessment of the situation of the detainees held in Guantanamo Bay. I recall that the Government has, on a number of occasions, made known to the US Government its concerns regarding the treatment and status of the detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The United States is well aware of the Government's view that those detained at Guantanamo Bay should be treated in accordance with the requirements of international human rights and humanitarian law. These concerns are shared by our EU partners.