Cardiff Lib Dems join Guantánamo Bay protest

12.00.00pm GMT Thu 11th Jan 2007

Dominic Hannigan, Cllr. Ed Bridges and Cllr. Gavin Cox join Amnesty International activists protesting against Guantánamo Bay

Liberal Democrats in Cardiff joined volunteers from Amnesty International in protesting against continued human rights abuses at Guantánamo Bay, and calling on the US authorities to close the camp.

11th January 2007 marks five years since the US authorities first transported 'war on terror' detainees to the military prison at the naval camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In that time, not a single detainee has yet been put on trial - a situation that the Liberal Democrats believe is wholly unacceptable.

Lib Dem Assembly candidate for Cardiff North, Cllr. Ed Bridges, said: "It is quite wrong that these suspects have been held for half a decade without trial. That is not justice, and it cannot be allowed to continue."

Cardiff South candidate, Dominic Hannigan, added: "The Lib Dems believe strongly that Guantánamo Bay, with its dubious human rights record, should be shut down immediately. If the US thinks these people have a case to asnwer, they should give them a fair trial rather than holding them indefinitely. What is happening presently is totally unacceptable."

Ed and Dominic - along with Regional List candidate, Cllr. Gavin Cox - joined the protest outside the US Embassy Office at Temple Court on Cathedral Road, where Amnesty International activists handed in a letter outlining their objections to practices at Guantánamo Bay.

Gavin Cox told us: "The US should be held accountable for its actions. Amnesty have done an important job in revealing the human rights abuses at Guantánamo, and it is high time the US closed the camp once and for all."