Secret Gitmo camp violates Geneva Conventions, lawyer says after visit
A defense lawyer allowed access to a secret camp that is part of the Guantanamo Bay prison has said he plans to challenge the conditions of the facility.
James Connell represents Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali (who is also known as Ammar Al-Baluchi), one of five Guantanamo Bay prisoners charged in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He asserts that the camp doesn’t meet international standards under the Geneva Conventions, the Associated Press reports.
Camp 7, which is at an undisclosed location on the U.S. base in Cuba, reportedly holds “high-value detainees.”
Connell plans to file a motion with the judge presiding over the tribunal challenging the conditions in the section known as Camp 7. He couldn’t reveal what he saw, but said he witnessed what amounts to pretrial punishment.
“The conditions of confinement do not meet the standards for preventative detention under the laws of war,” Connell is quoted saying.
Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, has denied that Camp 7 fails to meet international standards.
Also see:
ABA Journal: “Meet the man who would save Guantanamo”
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Sues Over New Gitmo Policy Requiring Review of Attorney Mail to Detainees”