Human Rights First Responds to Possible Relocation of Uighers to Palau

More About Law and Security » Email» Share & Bookmark Subscribe

Washington, DC – As the Obama Administration considers relocating Uighers currently awaiting release from the Guantánamo detention facility to the North Pacific island of Palau, Human Rights First Chief Executive Officer Elisa Massimino issued the following statement:

“We welcome the Obama Administration’s efforts to empty the Guantánamo prison facility. It is unfortunate that some in Congress have sought to obstruct these efforts. Ultimately, any comprehensive plan to do so will require the resettlement of some detainees who, like the Uighers, are not a security threat but cannot return to their home countries. Especially if we expect our allies to take in detainees, the United States will need to exercise leadership and heed the words of General Petraeus who, with respect to the closure of Guantánamo, has urged Americans not to be ‘afraid to live our values.’”

- 30 -