Russian Foreign Minister Raises Concern Over US Decision To Keep Guantanamo Prison Open
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concerns over the U.S. decision to keep the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, located in Cuba, open.
“The fight against terrorism must be based upon the solid foundation of international law and national legislation.
“In this regard we are gravely concerned by the decision of the U.S. Administration to keep open the illegal prison in Guantanamo, where detainees held without charge or trial are regularly subjected to torture,” Lavrov said speaking at the UN Human Rights Council.
Recall that in January, U.S. President Donald Trump announced during his State of the Union address that he had signed an executive order to keep the center open.
The facility has long been criticised for the mistreatment and abuse of detainees, prompting many to call on US authorities to close the facility.
It has housed suspected terrorists from Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other countries since 2002, many of them without charge.
Of 714 detainees released from the prison, 532 were freed by President George W. Bush and the remainder by President Barack Obama, who unsuccessfully tried to close the facility.
As many as 41 prisoners remained when Trump took office.
