Letter from Amnesty International's Noa Kleinman, expressing concern over the non-disclosure of names/country of origin of thirteen Guantanamo detainees who were transferred for release. The letter urges the disclosure of the information. The letter also expresses concern over allegations that children, as young as thirteen, are being held at Guantanamo.
UNCLASSIFIED
P:(l1
el27!S18219
., ..' RELEASED IN FULL
AMNESTYINTERNA TIONAL UK SECTION
AMERICAS WORLD REGION
Noa Kleinman co-ordinator tor Nonn Amerlca (~SCAN): telJiax +44 (O)i 274 818219
6 CObden Street Queensbury, Bradford. Wesl YorKshire 6D13 1BS, UK !
email: noa@kJeinmiOlreeservew}:!);
Colin Powell Secretary of State
Oepartment of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC 20520, USA
MilY 14. 2003
Dear Mr Powell;
I welcome the ne~ that 13 orths detainees held at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay
were transferred for release on May 7 2003 but' am concerned that thu Department of
Defense has declined to give the names or CQuntrie& 01 origIn of those released. In view of
the intematlonal concem about these detainees and In particular that Ii number of juvenile6
are among those held, I urge that more Infonnation about those released be given. I hope to
learn that the ehildren are among them.
Reports that children. $Ome as young as 13. were disCCl\lerad to be at Guantanamo Bay
earlier this year are extremely disquieting. As In tfle ease of the 16-year old Canadian
national, Om.n K.hadr. who was already known to be In custody at Guantanamo. these
children appear to have been transferred from the Bagram Air Base. While It Is good news
that the younger children are at least nol being held in isolation calls, il Is a matter of serious
concern that anyone under 18, the definition 01 a chllcl under international standards. should
be held In Indefinite detention at a remote location like Guantanamo Bay.
Intemational ~wrequires that chllcrren shOUld be Incarcerated only as illa$t resort and then for the minimum time possible. The fact that detainees have been held without access to lawyers. their families or the courts, cannot be in the best interests of the children. In the case of Omar Khadr. It took 6 months for the Canadian government to gain access to him and my understanding is that he remains with aces" to legal counselor his family.
If ~nyJuvenile detainees are not among those who nave been released from detentlon, I urge thai they are given Immediate access to lawyers and their families and that their treatment should be In accordance with the spedal needs of children. They should be pmmptJy charged and tried within a reasonable time and if it Is proved that any of them have served as ~oldiers their treatment be In aCCDrd with the rehabilitation of child soldiers which the USA has an international obligation to observe.
Noa Kleinman
l':"ITED STATES DEPART\IEYf OF STATE REVIEW AlTHORlT\: FRA"'K E SCH'IELZER
UNCLASSIFIED.
DA TE/~ASE 10: 2~ SEP WIH. 2Q0303827
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D05-000253