JAKARTA - An expert on the United Nations (UN) said on Monday that the United States Government's treatment of detainees in Teluk 04s was a cruel, inhumane, and degrading act of human dignity under international law, calling on Washington to apologize and provide reparation.
"I observe that after two decades of detention, the suffering of those detained is very deep, and it continues," said Fionnuala Ni Aolain at the United Nations, after completing the first official visit by a UN expert to a detention facility in Cuba.
"Every detainee I encounter lives in endless danger following from systematic practices of recruitment, torture, and arbitrary detention," he said, citing what he called the use of improper restraint and nearly constant oversight as a current shortcoming.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this matter.
It is known that the detention facility was founded in 2002 by the then US President, George W. Bush, to accommodate foreign militant suspects after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The population grew to a peak of about 800 inmates before starting to shrink.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said he wanted to close the facility, but had no plans to do so. Currently, there are still about 30 detainees there.
The comments from the independent expert added to recent criticism from the Red Cross and other UN agencies.
"The US government must immediately provide legal settlements, apologies and guarantees that will not happen again," said Aolain.
"A few countries show such courage," he added, praising Washington for the access given to him.
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