European Parliament
Charles Tannock and Geoffrey Van Orden (PPE-DE ),
in writing
The British Conservative delegation has abstained on the motion on the situation of prisoners in Guantánamo because it suggests in paragraphs 2 and 3 that torture is commonplace in this facility, which our American allies totally reject. Furthermore paragraph 8 explicitly asserts that the detainees are protected by the Geneva Convention, which in the case of illegal combatants not wearing uniforms, concealing their weapons and not subject to a military hierarchy, is disputed internationally by legal experts. We do support the eventual closure of Guantánamo, which has become a serious international issue for the United States, but this can only occur when alternative facilities are found to detain some of the most dangerous individuals threatening Western free societies.

