10.
Both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN Human Rights Committee have
clarified that international human rights obligations contained in the ICCPR do apply to
anyone who is under the power or effective control of a State party, even if situated outside
its territory. This applies to the situation at Guantánamo and the United States has therefore
the same obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights in Guantánamo as in its
own territory. In addition, United States did not notify any derogation from the ICCPR.
Similarly, the United States’ obligations under the UN Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment (CAT) apply to any territory
under its jurisdiction.
11.
The Guantánamo detainees captured in the context of the international armed conflict in
Afghanistan were therefore entitled, until the end of the conflict, to protections under both
international human rights law and international humanitarian law. International human
rights standards alone should govern the arrest and detention of the many Guantánamo
detainees apprehended outside and/or unconnected to any armed conflict.
12.
ODIHR has not sought to carry out an individual analysis of the status of the detainees.
The US concepts of “unlawful enemy combatant” and “unprivileged enemy belligerent”
appear to encompass individuals that never directly participated in hostilities. ODIHR
underlines that such concepts do not create a separate status that justifies placing the
Guantánamo detainees outside the protections of international humanitarian law. Both
combatants and civilians are entitled to the protections provided for in the Geneva
Conventions. With regard to the rights, status and protections of detainees, the definition of
civilian includes all detainees who do not fall within the definition of combatant
(applicable to international armed conflict only and under strict criteria under international
humanitarian law) as well as detainees who were not arrested in the context of an armed
conflict. The “global war against terrorism” is not capable of conferring the status of
combatant on persons detained for conduct outside of an armed conflict. Therefore,
detainees at Guantánamo, including those charged before the military commissions, do
include civilians.
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN THE DETENTION OF INDIVIDUALS AT GUANTÁNAMO
Prohibition of arbitrary detention
13.
Detention at Guantánamo. While the United States likely had authority to detain some of
the Guantánamo detainees based on their direct participation in hostilities, a significant
proportion of the detainees were apprehended outside any armed conflict involving the
United States at the time of their arrest. The prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention as
guaranteed under international human rights law should have unquestionably and fully
applied to these individuals throughout their detention. Acts of terrorism committed
outside an armed conflict are to be treated as criminal, requiring law enforcement
responses in line with international human rights standards and OSCE commitments.
14.
The detention of individuals directly involved and apprehended in the context of the
international armed conflict in Afghanistan (7 October 2001-19 June 2002) was to be
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