Original author: Joe Clark, Lloyd Axworthy, Flora Macdonald, Bill Graham, John Manley, Pierre Pettigrew
Source: The Globe and Mail
URL: [link]
Date: February 2, 2007

Special to Globe and Mail - Feb 2, 2007

As former Canadian foreign ministers, we are deeply concerned by how the U.S.-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, flagrantly violates human rights, undermines the rule of law, and sends a signal to other governments that it is acceptable to abuse the rights of their citizens.

Many government leaders, United Nations human-rights experts and organizations such as Amnesty International, have called on U.S. President George Bush to close Guantanamo. Canada has played a key role in defending human rights, but, so far, the Canadian government has been notably silent on this matter.

We urge Prime Minister Stephen Harper to speak up. He must press the U.S. government to deal with Guantanamo detainees, and all other detainees held in the "war on terror," in a manner consistent with international human-rights standards. He should appeal to the U.S. to respect the rule of law and close Guantanamo.

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