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Germany considering accepting Guantanamo detainees

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The German government is considering accepting detainees held at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to interviews published this week by Der Spiegel magazine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle revealed a possible plan to accept the transfer of three inmates to Germany. While Germany has historically supported the closure of Guantanamo, the former interior minister opposed accepting detainees, citing security grounds. The new proposal, which may see detainees in Germany in the near future, has drawn criticism from members of the German coalition government. Last month, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that three detainees had been transferred to the country of Georgia. Also in March, two Uighur Guantanamo detainees were transferred to Switzerland. The previous month, four detainees were transferred to Albania and Spain. In December, Bulgaria expressed a willingness to accept detainees. Other European countries that have accepted transfers include Latvia, Slovakia, and Belgium. The Obama administration failed to meet its January deadline for closing the prison after running into several hurdles, including opposition from members of Congress and the suspension of detainee transfers to Yemen.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 02, 2010 (boomark / email).