Challenge to American justice

News of the day: the captive Taliban have brought an action against Guantanamo Bay Naval Station’s administration. The action was brought in US court. However, that probably were not the Taliban. At least, general Michel Lenert, under whose jurisdiction the captive Taliban are, states that not all of them are Muslims. Of course, this statement is not a sensation. In the Cuban camp, there are now more than 300 people from 31 countries of the world. Among the captives, there are Saudi Arabs, Pakistanis, Yemenites, even citizens of Belgium and Sweden. Captives that are the most experienced in law could not lie idle. At least two British citizens and an Australian brought through their lawyers an action against the military base’s administration, demanding to release them, or at the minimum to permit the lawyers. So, US authorities have now to be at law with the captives of Guantanamo. However, there is nothing extraordinary in this. Almost all states, whose citizens are kept in the base, demanded from Washington to hand them over to their justice. While the United States does not hasten to fulfil this demand, however it could complicate US relations with some countries. But the United States is not afraid of possible difficulties. Washington is not going to make concession in this question. After the scandal raised by human rights organizations, the Americans promised to treat the captives according to the Geneva Convention. But the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants were never recognized as prisoners of war. Moreover, some reports appeared that US authorities are preparing themselves for closed trials on the convicts, however earlier such trials were excluded. For the time being, representatives of European states have not been admitted to their nationals kept in the Guantanamo base, and it hardly will ever happen. At least, Russian representatives did not managed to get to the base, however there is information about Russian citizens being kept in Guantanamo. Though captives from Saudi Arabia or from Yemen should be grateful to the US for they not being extradited to their countries: their motherlands would be more severe towards them. So, they hardly will bring an action against Americans. Oleg Artyukov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/02/20/37367.html