All 9 detainees must be released or charged says Euro-MP

11.19.56am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 20th Feb 2004

The imminent release of five British detainees from Guantanamo Bay, is welcome news, but all nine British detainees must be immediately released or charged according to West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne.

Reacting to yesterday's statement by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, that the five British detainees would be released in the next few weeks, the Liberal Democrat MEP said:

"I welcome the news that five British detainees including three from Tipton in the West Midlands will be released from Guantanamo Bay in the next few weeks. I am disappointed though that the other West Midlands man Moazzam Begg and the other three British nationals have not been released or charged after two years of detention.

"All the detainees at Guantanamo Bay have been held in unacceptable legal limbo for far too long. They have been denied access to lawyers and they do not even know what charges if any they face. This flies in the face of International standards of justice and human rights and Europe should not acquiesce in this.

"The British Government must work together with its EU partners to ensure that all European nationals are either charged and face a fair trial according to International standards of justice, or allowed to return to their homes. It is vital EU leaders present a united front on this issue at the next EU-US summit."

ENDS