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Leading human rights organizations have urged more European states to accept detainees held at the US detention centre at Guantaacute;namo who cannot be returned to their countries of origin for fear of torture or other human rights violations.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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On the eighth anniversary of the first transfers to Guantaacute;namo, the organisations urged other countries, including Germany, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg to do more to aid the transfer of roughly 50 such men who remain trapped after years of unlawful detention. br /
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ldquo;Although several countries have already led the way, it is disappointing that only a few European governments have stepped forward to help those in need of protection,rdquo; said Sharon Critoph, Campaigner on the US at Amnesty International ldquo;Amongst those governments which have failed to assist are those previously most vocal in calling for Guantaacute;namo to be closed.rdquo; br /
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Reprieve, the Center for Constitutional Rights and former Guantaacute;namo detainee Moazzam Begg of the organization Cage Prisoners are today beginning a tour across Europe urging more states to offer the men a safe haven. The tour will be hosted by Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s national sections. br /
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These men remain detained for the sole reason that they have no safe place to go. They have been essentially abandoned at Guantaacute;namo. The plight of these men poses one of the most significant obstacles to the closure of the detention centre. br /
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A number of European states have already taken the commendable step of offering a safe haven to such detainees, in line with the stated aims of the EU-US joint agreement on the closure of Guantaacute;namo. These include France, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary and Belgium.On this important anniversary, human rights groups are urging others to follow suit. br /
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The men come from countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Syria, China and Russia, where they will be at serious risk of torture or other human rights violations if returned.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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The US government has been seeking safe countries willing to offer these men an opportunity to rebuild their lives and is primarily responsible for finding solutions for all those held at Guantaacute;namo. br /
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The international community which has repeatedly called for the detention centrersquo;s closure can however help in realizing this aim by offering a safe haven to some of these men. br /
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Guantaacute;namo remains a stark symbol of injustice.nbsp; Human rights groups have expressed concern that the detention facility will remain open past 22 January 2010, the date by which US President Barack Obama had pledged to close it.nbsp; Unless more European countries step forward now to help, some of the most vulnerable detainees remain at serious risk of forcible return to abuse. br /
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»The last decade saw the erosion of the rule of law and international respect for human rights. Guantaacute;namo stands for all that went wrong and it must now be closedrsquo;rsquo; said Sophie Weller of the Center for Constitutional Rights.lsquo;lsquo;The men who remain detained because they lack a safe haven continue, every day to pay the human price for delay and inaction in achieving this aim.rdquo; br /
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ldquo;Many European governments have condemned the ongoing detention of prisoners at Guantaacute;namo Bay. Now they can do something about it,rdquo; said Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve. ldquo;Actions really do speak louder than words in this case; its time to turn the rhetoric into reality and get Guantaacute;namo closed as soon as possible.rdquo; br /
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Background information br /
The human rights organisations welcomed the actions of those countries which have already come forward to assist ndash; such as France, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary – but expressed disappointment that others had not taken concrete steps in line with the EU-US Joint Statement on the Closure of Guantaacute;namo Bay. The statement, issued on 16 June 2009, expressed the readiness of certain EU Member States to assist with the reception of former detainees on a case-by-case basis. br /
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Nearly seven months since this statement was issued, only seven former detainees have been welcomed into Europe as free men. A further ten have been sent to Palau and Bermuda, and two have been transferred to Italy for possible trial. Approximately 50 more still need protection.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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The tour will include visits to a number of European countries – including Luxembourg, Sweden and Germany – which could provide safe and appropriate reception for detainees from Guantaacute;namo, giving them the chance to rebuild their lives. br /
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The organizations will also be calling on government officials in countries which have already accepted detainees to share expertise, encouragement and examples of good practice with their counterparts in countries which may be considering following suit. br /
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There are 198 prisoners in total still held in Guantaacute;namo.

France must not deport a man convicted of terrorist acts to Algeria where he may be at risk of incommunicado detention and torture or other ill-treatment, Amnesty International said on Thursday.br /
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According to a European Court of Human Rightsrsquo; judgement on Thursday, Kamel Daoudirsquo;s expulsion to Algeria would expose him to inhuman or degrading treatment and would be in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.br /
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quot;Sending Kamel Daoudi to Algeria would put him at risk of being tortured. As a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, France must not carry out the expulsion,quot; said David Diaz-Jogeix, Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director.br /
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The European Courtrsquo;s judgement is significant as it spells out unequivocally that the prohibition on torture or other ill-treatment in the European Convention on Human Rights must be followed without exception.br /
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quot;The Court has spoken. This is a clear signal to other European states that may be considering deporting people they regard as threats to national security to countries where they may be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. States enforcing such expulsions would be in violation of their obligations under international law,quot; David Diaz-Jogeix said.br /
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Amnesty International and other organizations have documented the ill-treatment of terror suspects in Algeria, where they have been held in unrecognized places of detention without contact with the outside world, at times for prolonged periods, putting them at risk of torture.br /
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Originally an Algerian national, Kamel Daoudi acquired French citizenship but in 2002 he was stripped of it following allegations about his involvement with terrorist groups, even though the criminal case against him was still pending at the time.br /
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In 2005, he was convicted of quot;criminal association in relation to a terrorist enterprisequot; and falsification of official documents and sentenced to nine yearsrsquo; imprisonment (subsequently reduced to six years), and permanent exclusion from French territory.br /
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On 21 April 2008, Kamel Daoudi was released from La Santeacute; prison after serving his sentence and immediately taken into custody pending expulsion to Algeria. br /
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Following a request by Kamel Daoudirsquo;s lawyer, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the French authorities to suspend the deportation procedure while it considered whether Kamel Daoudi would be at risk ill-treatment if he returned to Algeria.