EU must push Bush to close Guantanamo

11.11.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 7th Jun 2007

Sarah Ludford and Menzies Campbell attend a vigil for those detained at Guantanamo Bay.

On the occasion of the G8 summit meeting in Heiligendamm, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP has called on parliamentarians across Europe to lobby their governments for a united EU position pressing George Bush to end the human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay.

Baroness Ludford is the Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman, a member of the UK all-party parliamentary groups on Guantanamo Bay and on extraordinary rendition, has been the European Parliament rapporteur on Guantanamo, and vice-chair of the European Parliament temporary committee on rendition which reported in February. She said:

"The rejection even by the US military kangaroo court of charges against two Guantanamo Bay detainees highlights the complete incompatibility between the US government's illegal procedures and the universal right to a fair and open trial."

"Europe should therefore expose the complete fallacy of the 'enemy combatant' concept. Unfortunately British Home Secretary John Reid unwisely continues to legitimise the legal black hole in which Guantanamo dwells by indulging the US thesis of the inadequacy of the normal criminal law to tackle terrorism."

"Tony Blair is searching for a legacy. How about using his 'special relationship' with President Bush to join with Merkel, Sarkozy, and Prodi and deliver a frank message about closing Guantanamo."