Court ruling releasing Uighur Guantanamo detainees welcomed

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 9th Oct 2008

A United States District court has ordered the release of 17 Chinese Uighurs, some of whom have been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2001, despite the US government determining years ago that they were not enemy combatants. But a delay has been caused by a stay on the release requested by the US government and granted by an appeals court.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, the party's European justice & human rights spokeswoman has been an active campaigner for the release and resettlement in safe countries of these Uighurs, even sponsoring a European Parliamentary hearing on the issue earlier this year. They cannot return to their home region, ruled by China, as they will be stigmatised as 'terrorists' and maltreated.

She commented:

"Whilst this ruling is welcome, it is also long overdue. Not only have some of these people been subjected to 7 years of incarceration without a shred of evidence ever being presented against them, but the Bush administration's continued delaying tactics, even after a court has cleared them for release, has prolonged their agony even further."

"It is imperative that pressure is kept on the US government to finally accept some responsibility in this matter and allow these men to resettle in the United States. Furthermore, it must legally process all the other detainees quickly and end the Guantanamo Bay nightmare once and for all."