GDN:Hope for Guantanamo Bay three

By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 27 August 2006

THERE are hopes that three Bahraini detainees at Guantanamo Bay could be among more than 120 prisoners set to be released by the US government.

The US Department of Defence has already announced that one captive has been transferred to Germany as a result of the Administrative Review Board (ARB) process.

In a statement, it says the other 120 detainees are eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes, which include discussions between the US and other nations.

“The US does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary,” it said.

By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 27 August 2006

THERE are hopes that three Bahraini detainees at Guantanamo Bay could be among more than 120 prisoners set to be released by the US government.

The US Department of Defence has already announced that one captive has been transferred to Germany as a result of the Administrative Review Board (ARB) process.

In a statement, it says the other 120 detainees are eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes, which include discussions between the US and other nations.

“The US does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary,” it said.

“The department expects that there will continue to be other transfers and releases of detainees.”

The news comes only a month after the AFP news agency quoted a diplomat saying the three remaining detainees would be released “soon”, but gave no further details.

Officials in Bahrain and the US have not commented, although sources said there had been a significant increase in activity between the US Embassy in Bahrain, the Foreign Ministry and Bahrain Embassy in the US about the issue.

Former vice-president of the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Nabeel Rajab, has campaigned for the release of Bahraini detainees and is hopeful that they could be among those up for transfer.

“I do not think that any organisations will be aware of who is going to be released or transferred, not even their lawyers,” he said yesterday.

“But looking at the whole issue and having worked with it for a few years I think the Bahrainis maybe among them.

“They should have been released long time ago, according to their lawyers and the papers that I have seen.

“It shows there is nothing against them and I would expect them to be released.”

A US Embassy spokeswoman last night declined to comment on the issue.

However, lawyers for the three remaining Bahraini detainees have expressed concerns that the men appeared to feel they have been forgotten by Bahraini authorities.

Legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan said the stress and isolation of life at the detention facility had drained any remaining optimism the three men had about their possible release.

He was speaking following a three-day visit to the prison camp, in Cuba, with lawyers representing Salah Abdulrasool Al Blooshi, Juma Mohammed Abdullatif Al Dossary and Isa Abdulla Al Murbati

The three men are approaching their fifth year at the US-run prison camp without charge or trial.

“I met with Salah, Isa and Juma to discuss both the court case and the diplomatic efforts being made to bring them home,” Mr Colangelo-Bryan told the GDN.

“Naturally, our clients understand that it is only through diplomatic efforts that they might come home and see their families anytime soon.

“Due to the stress and isolation of life at Guantanamo, it is hard for our clients not to worry at times that they have been forgotten by authorities in Bahrain.

“I assured them that this is not the case and I believe that my assurances did give them some hope.”

Al Blooshi, 24, has been held in Camp Four – reportedly for prisoners who are “not considered a threat”.

Al Murbati, 41, is being detained in Camp One, allegedly the highest security section at the prison after being forced off a hunger strike last December.

According to the US military, Al Dossary, 32, has attempted to kill himself 13 times.

The Bahrainis are among around 450 detainees still in Guantanamo Bay.

Former Bahraini Guantanamo detainees Abdulla Majid Al Nuaimi, 24, Adel Kamel Hajee, 41, and Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, 27, were returned to Bahrain in November last year.

© Gulf Daily News