Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Hunger Strike Spreads at Guantanamo Camp

A hunger strike started in June by terror suspects imprisoned by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo) -- and reportedly settled -- has been restarted and is growing, with 15 detainees hospitalised and 13 being fed through tubes.
The number of hunger strikers varies. The military has said at various times the number is 89 and 76. But a lawyer for a group of detainees says the number is now 200 and growing.
"As far as their reasons for hunger striking, it seems to be a myriad of different reasons that they all have, the largest one seems to be like they want to protest their continued (detention)," said British lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith, who represents 40 detainees, including one of the hunger strikers, British citizen Omar Deghayes.
...The hunger strike is the second since late June. The first ended after the authorities made a number of promises, including better access to books, and bottled drinking water.
...But the prisoners claim that they were tricked into resuming eating. One said in a statement given to Stafford-Smith that, "The administration promised that if we gave them 10 days, they would bring the prison into compliance with the Geneva conventions. They said this had been approved by (Defence Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld."
"As a result of these promises, we agreed to end the strike on Jul. 28. It is now Aug. 11. They have betrayed our trust (again)."

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