Calling Notice: Guantanamo Bay Public Hearing

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 29th Sep 2003

A public hearing of Guatanamo Bay detainees' families and lawyers will be held in the European Parliament tomorrow afternoon (30th September).

Detainees from across the EU will be represented and family members include Azmet Begg who spoke so memorably at Liberal Democrat conference last week about his son Moazzam, one of 2 British citizens designated for a military trial.

The European Commission, the US Mission in Brussels, the Council of Ministers and Member States are all expected to be represented at the meeting, which will focus on ways to increase EU pressure on the US to end the intolerable detention without trial and proposals for unacceptable military courts.

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, European Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman and co-organiser of the meeting, says:

"Fighting terrorism has to start with justice at home. Illegal detention or convictions in a kangaroo court will only fan the flames of hatred."

"US citizen John Walker Lindh was not held at Guantanamo Bay, but dealt with in a civil court with all the protection of the US constitution. Second-class justice for foreigners is no way to secure respect for America."

"The EU must speak with one voice. The US wants European states to agree a UN resolution on Iraq; let's make release or fair trials for the detainees a pre-condition."

Notes

A press conference will be held at 2pm in the press room at the European Parliament, PHS 0A 50

The hearing will begin at 2.30pm in room PHS 4B 01. Full details follow:

PUBLIC HEARING

Tuesday, 30 September 2003

14.30 - 19.00 p.m.

European Parliament - Room PHS 4B 01

Guantanamo: The Right to a Fair Trial

"Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent

and impartial tribunal,..." Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 10

14.30 Opening:

Jorge HERNANDEZ MOLLAR, MEP, Chair of the EP Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs

14.45 Overview of the situation:

William BOURDON, French Lawyer representing French detainees

Aymen SASSI, brother of the French detainee Nizar Sassi

Javier NART, Spanish lawyer representing the Spanish detainee

Nayat A. AHMED sister of the Spanish detainee Hamed Abderrahaman Ahmed

Medhi GHEZALI, father of the Swedish detainee Medhi Gheali

Peter ALTHIN, International lawyer and Member of the Swedish Parliament

Gareth PEIRCE, British Lawyer representing British detainees

Amzet BEGG, father of the British detainee Moazzem Begg

Gösta HULTÉN, journalist and Head of the Guantanamogruppen,Swedish NGO

Ted CONEVER, US Journalist, New York Times

Ashwin RAMAN, journalist from ARD - German TV

16.30-17.30 BREAK

17.30 Debate with the participation of

Fair Trials Abroad - Stephen JAKOBI

European Parliament - Anna TERRON i CUSI, PSE - Marianne ERIKSSON, GUE/NGL - Baroness LUDFORD, ELDR - Monica FRASSONI, Green/Efa

and other MEPs

Representatives from the Council and the European Commission

18.45 Conclusions

Peter CARTER QC, Chair - Bar Human Rights Committee

(Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish and Swedish)

Related Link:

Search site for more on Guantanamo Bay.