MOSCOW, November 19 (Sputnik) – Moscow is concerned that the United States is not informing the world community on its plans to close the Guantanamo prison, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s information department said Wednesday.
“It is with great concern that we see the inability of the American side to present information to the international community on the White House’s plans to close the prison in Guantanamo or investigations into the participation of CIA employees of kidnapping people in the countries of the European Union and holding them in secret prisons,” the Foreign Ministry statement reads.
“Taking into consideration the broad collection of serious problems revealed by the Committee Against Torture, we recommend our American colleagues, who are ambitiously applying for the international leader in the fight against torture, to make some elementary order with the protection of human rights in this area in their own country,” the statement continues.
Closing the controversial prison camp in Guantanamo Bay has been US President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign promise. According to a Gallup poll, 66 percent of US citizens still oppose its closure.
The detention camp, located in Cuba, has been the subject of harsh criticism since its establishment in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Health workers, inspectors and former detainees have described cruel and inhumane conditions at the camp, including the use of torture.
As of November, there are 148 prisoners currently being held in the Guantanamo Bay military prison.
