The IACHR has used all its mechanisms to address the human rights situation of the persons detained by the United States in its Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba:

• Resolutions
• Petition and case system
• Precautionary Measures
• Requests of permission for a visit
• Press Releases
• Hearings

• Resolution 2/11: On the Situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay, United States; Precautionary Measures 259-02.
  July 22, 2011
• Resolution 2/06: On Precautionary Measures for Guantanamo Detainees.
  July 28, 2006

• Admissibility Report No. 17/12, Petition 900/08, Djamel Ameziane, United States (Word document)
• Working Meeting on Case 12.865, Djamel Ameziane, United States. 147 Period of Sessions of the IACHR
  March 13, 2013

• Precautionary Measure 422/14 – Matter of Mustafa Adam Al-Hawsawi, United States
  July 7, 2015
• Precautionary Measure 211/08 - Djamel Ameziane, United States.
  August 20, 2008
• Precautionary Measure 8/06- Omar Khadr, United States
  March 21, 2006
• Precautionary Measure 259/02 – Detainees held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay.
  March 12, 2002

•     Extension of PM 259/02 - Detainees held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay
      October 28, 2005
•     Extension of PM 259/02 - Detainees held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay
      July 23, 2013

• In 2007, the IACHR requested the United States its consent to conduct a visit to the detainee center in the US Naval Base in Guantanamo. On March 4, 2008, the IACHR Chair, Commissioner Paolo Carozza, informed the following to the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the OAS Permanent Council:

  The Commission also sought permission during 2007 to carry out an on-site visit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to monitor conditions of detention there for the hundreds of nationals of various countries who have been held there for extended periods. While representatives of the US Government did indicate that the Commission could visit the base at Guantanamo, they informed the Commission that it would not be permitted to freely interview detainees. The Commission declined to conduct a visit under such limitations.

• In 2011, the IACHR reiterated its request for the United States' consent to conduct a visit. The Commission received an answer from the United States on August 26, 2011, where it indicates that the permission was granted under the same “terms and conditions”as communicated to the Commission in 2007. One of these conditions indicates that the United States only recognizes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the protecting body with respect to the detainees held at Guantanamo, and that, accordingly, it only provides the ICRC direct access to the detainees. The Inter-American Commission conducts visits to places where persons are deprived of their liberty on the condition of having direct and private access to all persons detained.
• The Inter-American Commission continues to be interested in conducting a visit to the US detention center in Guantanamo, including direct and private access to the detainees, and without any other conditions.

• Press Release 147/14 : IACHR Welcomes the Resettlement of Six Guantanamo Detainees to Uruguay and Urges OAS Member States to Follow Uruguay’s Example.
  December 10, 2014
• Press Release 103/13: IACHR Condemns Forced Transfer of Djamel Ameziane from Guantanamo to Algeria.
  December 19, 2013
• Press Release 29/13: IACHR, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, UN Rapporteur on Torture, UN Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, and UN Rapporteur on Health Reiterate Need to End the Indefinite Detention of Individuals at Guantánamo Naval Base in Light of Current Human Rights Crisis
  May 1, 2013
• Press Release 3/12: 10 Years After Detentions in Guantanamo Began, the IACHR Repeats its Call to Close the Detention Center
  January 11, 2012
• Press Release 86/11: IACHR Urges United States to Close the Detention Facility at Guantánamo.
  August 2, 2011
• Press Release 37/11: IACHR Expresses Deep Concern over New Revelations about Guantanamo.
  April 29, 2011
• Press Release 75/10: IACHR Deplores Forced Transfer of Guantanamo Detainee
  August 2, 2010
• Press Release 02/09: IACHR Welcomes Order to Close Guantanamo Detention Center.
  January 27, 2009
• Press Release 27/06: IACHR Urges to Close Guantanamo without Delay (includes text of Resolution 02/06).
  July 28, 2006

• March 16, 2015: Human Rights Situation of Persons Deprived of Liberty at the Guantánamo Naval Base. 154 Period of Sessions of the IACHR. Available: video, fotos
• October 28, 2013: Situation of the detainees in Guantanamo. 149 Period of Sessions of the IACHR. Available: video, photos
• March 12, 2013: Situation of the detainees in Guantanamo. 147 Period of Sessions of the IACHR Available: video, photos
• October 29, 2010: Petition 900/08, Djamel Ameziane, United States. 140 Period of Sessions of the IACHR Available: video y audio
• October 28, 2008: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay, and PM 211/08, Djamel Ameziane. 133 Period of Sessions of the IACHR. Available: Video in languages spoken at the hearing / Video in English / Video in Spanish / Audio recording in languages spoken at the hearing / Photos
• July 20, 2007: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. 128 Period of Sessions of the IACHR Available: video, audio recording, photos
• March 13, 2006: Precautionary Measure 8/06, Omar Khadr, United States, 124 Period of Sessions of the IACHR
• October 20, 2005: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. 123 Period of Sessions of the IACHR
• March 3, 2005: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. 122 Period of Sessions of the IACHR
• October 20, 2003: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. 118 Period of Sessions of the IACHR
• October 16, 2002: Precautionary Measure 259/02 in favor of detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. 116 Period of Sessions of the IACHR

• Program
• Video
• Photos

Video of the Round Table - December 10, 2015

Photos of the hearing held March 16, 2015

Video of the hearing of March 12, 2013

 

Photos of the hearing held March 12, 2013
To open a photo, click on it
Photo gallery of this hearing on Flickr

Commissioners at the hearing on the Guantanamo detainees’ human rights situation, which took place on March 12, 2013 as part of the 147th Session of the IACHR

Representatives of the State at the hearing. From left to right: Lawrence J. Gumbiner, Deputy Permanent Representative of the U.S. Mission to the OAS, Michael Williams from the Office of the Legal Counsel of the Department of State. Also present were Tess Bridgeman and Natalya Scimeca from the State Department and Tara Jones from the Department of Defense

Organizations that requested the hearing. From left to right: Kristine Huskey from Physicians for Human Rights, Francisco Quintana from the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL). Also in the audience were Omar A. Farah from the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Ramzi Kassem, Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic, City University of New York (CUNY) Law School

Chairman of the IACHR, Commissioner José de Jesús Orozco, at the hearing

Commissioner Tracy Robinson, Rapporteur for the United States, at the hearing

Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar Gil, Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, at the hearing

 

 

Photos of the hearing held October 28, 2008
Photo gallery of this hearing
To open a photo, click on it

Hearing about PM 259/02,
October 28, 2008

Representatives of the State in the hearing

Representatives of the State in the hearing

In the hearing, Commissioner Florentín Meléndez, then Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty

Organizations that requested the hearing

Organizations that requested the hearing