Guantanamo hunger strike escalates

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday September 14, 2005 15:48 by Justin Morahan - Peace People

Force feeding, intravenous feeding

indefinite imprisonment and beatings are blamed for prisoner's decision to go on hunger strike in Guantanamo, now in its second month. The number now on hunger strike is 128

A mass hunger strike by internees at Guantanamo has escalated in the past few days. The hunger strike which began on August 8th involved 89 prisoners and has now grown to 128.

According to a Base spokesman, Captain John Adams, 13 detainees are being (force) fed by tubes and 5 others are receiving intravenous fluids.. He said the number of hospitalized detainees had reached 22, but four were returned to their cells after their conditions improved and all were being monitored by doctors at the camp

According to the Washington Post, "the captives are protesting their indefinite imprisonment and what they describe as beatings administered by the prison's Immediate Response Force (IRF)-- squads of military personnel who are dispatched to put down disturbances in detainees' cells. Some have said they will refuse to eat until the military gives them a fair hearing or they die, according to their attorneys".

Reports of ill-tratment of prisoners at Guantanamo have been continuous. In November 2004, the New York Times reported that in a confidential International Red Cross Report (that had been seen by the New York Times) the IRC had accused the US military of using tactics "tantamount to torture" on prisoners in Guantanamo.

Over the years there have been other reports of sleep deprivation, unnecssary shackling, long, night-time interrogations, use of dogs to terrorise etc. The US Embassy has been contacted by me and a letter will follow