Sir, – A total of 79 Guantánamo prisoners, considered low-level risks, have been awaiting release for several years, but the US Congress refuses to allow them be released in the US, and the US has been unable to persuade other countries to take them. In addition 70 higher risk prisoners should be transferred to prisons in the US, where they would be subject to US constitutional laws, including habeas corpus proceedings, but this is also blocked by Congress.
Some prisoners have been in Guantánamo for over 12 years without trial. Two Uighur prisoners from Guantánamo were resettled in Ireland in 2009.
As a humanitarian gesture Ireland should offer to resettle more prisoners from Guantánamo, particularly given that the Irish Government facilitated the transfer of prisoners to Guantánamo by allowing CIA and US military aircraft that were engaged in the so-called extraordinary rendition programme to be refuelled at Shannon airport.
Some prisoners on hunger strike are being forced fed, and at least nine prisoners have died in Guantánamo, including six by suspected suicide.– Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN,
Newtown,
Castletroy, Limerick.