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UN welcomes Obama decision to close down Guantanamo prison
Welcoming the decision of the Obama administration to close detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, the UN has said that there should be accountability for those responsible for the torture of the detainees.
Welcoming the decision of the Obama administration to close detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, the UN has said that there should be accountability for those responsible for the torture of the detainees.
In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay demanded compensation for those found innocent and called for a thorough investigation into the allegations of torture at the facility.
"Under international law, there is an absolute prohibition against torture, and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment," she said.
"There must be accountability for those who have ordered such practices or carried them out, and victims should receive recompensation"
She appreciated the new administrations decision to ban methods of interrogation which contravene international law and called for a review of the US approach to detaining individuals abroad, in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the practice of "rendition."
"The fact that President Obama has placed such a high priority on closing Guantanamo and set in motion a system to safeguard the fundamental rights of the detainees there is extremely encouraging," she stated.
