GUANTáNAMO BAY DETENTION CAMP

Early day motion 780, tabled 24 January 2008 by Baroness Teather (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 50 members.

That this House congratulates and supports the worldwide demonstrations marking the sixth anniversary of the opening of the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility by the Bush administration and regrets that the camp remains a devastating scar on America's human rights; condemns the refusal to offer prisoners a free and fair trial and considers this to be in breach of the fundamental principles of American justice and the democratic values the war on terror purports to defend; believes that evidence gained under torture is both immoral and unreliable and expresses concern that prisoners include former child soldiers such as Omar Khadr who was seized at the age of 15 years; supports the United States Administration's stated wish to close the camp but notes that this is only possible if foreign governments agree to accept back their own citizens and residents; and calls on the British Government to take a stronger line on human rights abuses perpetrated by the US and to step up diplomatic pressure on the international community to work with the US to have Guantánamo Bay closed.

Signatures by party: Labour 23, Liberal Democrat 16, Scottish National Party 5, Plaid Cymru 3, Conservative 1, Independent 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.