International Human Rights Day

5.18.32pm GMT Fri 10th Dec 2004

Attending a service of reflection on International Human Rights Day (10th December) organised by the Guantanamo Human Rights Commission at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London MEP and LibDem European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford said:

"We think today of all the people in the world who suffer repression, persecution and torture. The shameful symbol of this is the regime run by the world's superpower at Guantanamo Bay, where 8 Britons and British residents, 5 of them my London constituents*, are still incarcerated after nearly 3 years without charge or fair trial."

"But let's not forget our own British internment camp at Belmarsh prison, where several of the detainees have been driven literally mad by the Kafaesque nature of their indefinite detention. Next Thursday the House of Lords has the chance to rule that this is totally unacceptable in a democratic country. It must do so."

"On the eve of an EU decision on whether Turkey is sufficiently up to the mark on democracy and human rights for accession talks to be opened, it is shameful that the EU fails to see the irony of its toleration of gross abuses by a Member State and its close ally."

Ends

*Note: Martin Mubanga from Cricklewood, Ferroz Abbasi from Croydon, Richard Belmar from St John's Wood, Bisher al-Rawi from Kingston and Jamil el-Banna from Brent.

Sarah Ludford is a patron of the Guantanamo Human Rights Commission set up by, inter alia, Corin and Vanessa Redgrave.