US urged to repatriate Bahraini prisoners
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: Bahrain’s upper house, the Shura Council, yesterday urged the US authorities to repatriate the two Bahrainis held at the Guantanamo prison or put them on trial.
“The current situation of the detainees cannot continue and the Americans have to put an end to it. They must either give them a fair trial and abide by the court verdict or send them home,” the Council’s bureau said yesterday.
Six Bahrainis were seized by the Americans in Pakistan in 2001 shortly after the start of the global war on terror launched by the US following the attacks on New York and Washington.
US urged to repatriate Bahraini prisoners
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: Bahrain’s upper house, the Shura Council, yesterday urged the US authorities to repatriate the two Bahrainis held at the Guantanamo prison or put them on trial.
“The current situation of the detainees cannot continue and the Americans have to put an end to it. They must either give them a fair trial and abide by the court verdict or send them home,” the Council’s bureau said yesterday.
Six Bahrainis were seized by the Americans in Pakistan in 2001 shortly after the start of the global war on terror launched by the US following the attacks on New York and Washington.
The Bahrainis, who repeatedly denied links with terrorist activities against the US, were transferred to Guantanamo where they were held without charges. Three were released in 2005 and a fourth last year.
“The Shura Council will play a greater role in helping to bring the two last Bahrainis home,” the bureau said.
Nabeel Rajab, the human rights activist who has been coordinating the Bahraini civil society efforts to release the prisoners with New York based lawyer Joshua Colangelo-Bryan yesterday said that he hoped that the recent visit by the Bahraini interior minister to Washington would help their case. He also expects the release of Juma Al Dossari and Eisa Al Murbati saying, “There is no evidence supporting their arrest or detention and the whole issue comes down to procrastination from the US authorities.”