\nday-by-day timeline of the Gitmo hunger strike.<\/a><\/p>\n
RT spoke with the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human
\nRights Konstantin Dolgov, to find out his view on the situation as
\nthe hunger strike hits its\u2019 100-day landmark.<\/p>\n
RT:<\/b> It is one hundred days since the hunger strike in
\nGuantanamo began, and we\u2019re hearing shocking reports about
\nprisoners being force-fed. What do you make of that? How does that
\ncomply with the human rights and violations of human
\nrights?<\/i><\/p>\n
Konstantin Dolgov:<\/b> It definitely does not comply either with
\nthe human rights as such or with the respective obligations and
\ncommitments which the United States has before the international
\ncommunity in the field of human rights. We have said many, many
\ntimes before that the entire existence of this special prison in
\nGuantanamo contravenes the basic international tenets in the field
\nof human rights.<\/p>\n
So the situation, which is still ongoing, with the hunger strike,
\nobviously is a matter of concern \u2014 not only to us, but to the
\nentire international community and, obviously, to the human rights
\ndefenders, including American human rights defenders.<\/p>\n
![\"Konstantin](\"http:\/\/rss.rt.com\/files\/opinionpost\/1f\/16\/40\/00\/konstantin-dolgov.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
We have seen many statements coming from the UN High
\nCommissioner for Human Rights, coming from other institutions,
\ninternational institutions, defending human rights. In all those
\nstatements, there is one major request, or I would rather say
\ndemand, addressed to the United States government \u2014 to close down
\nfinally this particular prison.<\/p>\n
We have seen and we have heard many promises by different
\nrepresentatives of the Obama administration that it is coming, it
\nis coming, it is coming. They are telling us that the US Congress
\ndoes not support closing down the prison, which factually is true,
\nbut obviously we continue to think that the administration, that
\nthe government of the US has to meet the international obligations
\nof that country and they have to undertake resolute steps to
\nfinally close down the prison which has been the arena of multiple
\nviolations of human rights, not only this ongoing situation with
\nthe hunger strike.<\/p>\n
Yes, we are concerned by the information which we are receiving
\nthat there have been violations of the rights of inmates. You know
\nthat quite a number of them, they had to be released years ago,
\nbecause the US courts have made such a decision, I think, a couple
\nof years ago.<\/p>\n
But they are still there. They are still inmates, they are still
\nkept in prison because those decisions by the courts, for this
\nreason or that, are not implemented.<\/p>\n
So there are multiple violations of human rights. I must
\nreiterate that we were planning to send a delegation to Guantanamo,
\na Russian inter-agency delegation, with the leading role,
\nobviously, of the Foreign Ministry, but unfortunately this visit
\nhas not been carried out so far.<\/p>\n
It is not reasonable to go without having an opportunity to see
\nour Russian citizen, Ravil Mingazov, who is still kept in that
\nprison, he is an inmate. He is the last Russian citizen in
\nGuantanamo. Obviously we want \u2014 and we have notified the American
\nside in due course, in due form – that we want to get firsthand
\ninformation about the conditions in which Mingazov is kept there,
\nabout the situation with the implementation of his basic
\nrights.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, such a visit to Mingazov is not possible so far,
\nat this juncture. We have been told that he is not willing to meet
\nwith the Russian government officials, but we also have the
\ninformation that, if his lawyers were allowed to attend such a
\nmeeting, then Mingazov definitely would be willing to meet with
\nus.<\/p>\n
![\"In](\"http:\/\/rss.rt.com\/files\/opinionpost\/1f\/16\/40\/00\/5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
So, unfortunately, the US government, the federal authorities,
\nthey did not provide for the necessary conditions for such a
\nmeeting to take place. There are some rules, I think formulated by
\nthe Pentagon, which preclude the presence of lawyers at such
\nmeetings.<\/p>\n
So we are still there, we still are inclined to go to Guantanamo
\nand to get a better understanding of how serious the situation is
\nwith the violations of human rights of different inmates,
\nincluding, once again, to get information about the living
\nconditions of our citizen.<\/p>\n
But our basic position has not changed. Once again, we think
\nthat the US government is to close down Guantanamo as soon as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
RT:<\/b> As for closing it down, the main concern of the US
\nis obviously what to do with the prisoners when the prison is shut.
\nThere\u2019s the Russian citizen, the only one left there; would Russia
\nbe willing to take Mingazov back to Russia and investigate the
\ncrimes if he committed any?<\/i>
KT:<\/b> Well, first of all, once again, it is important to get
\nfirst-hand information about conditions in which he is kept there
\nin Guantanamo. Definitely we will be ready to discuss different
\noptions, but what is important is to close down the prison and to
\ndecide upon the future of the inmates.<\/p>\n
Definitely it is to be done in contact with the respective
\ngovernments of the countries whose citizens they are, and in the
\ncase of Mingazov, his fate is to be decided in contact with the
\nRussian government.<\/p>\n
So, we will be ready to discuss it, but first of all, we have to
\nascertain that his rights are not being violated.<\/p>\n
![\"In](\"http:\/\/rss.rt.com\/files\/opinionpost\/1f\/16\/40\/00\/6.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
As far as we know, he has not participated in the hunger strike,
\nbut even without the hunger strike the conditions in which the
\ninmates are being kept are definitely not in line with
\ninternational standards.<\/p>\n
And our basic policy, our principle position \u2014 if you wish \u2014 is
\nthat we are trying to get back our citizens as soon as possible
\nfrom foreign prisons and we think that Mingazov is to leave the
\nprison in Guantanamo as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
But on the specific modalities, I think certain consultations
\nare to be carried out.<\/p>\n
RT:<\/b> Some reports are suggesting that Mingazov doesn’t
\nwant to return to Russia \u2014 of course that\u2019s being said through his
\nlawyers, not himself.<\/i><\/p>\n
KD:<\/b> The main stumbling block is that the Russian
\nFederation needs to hear that from Mingazov, that he doesn’t want
\nto be a Russian citizen anymore.<\/p>\n
But as I said we still want to meet with Mingazov, we still want
\nto talk to him and to discuss different topics, different issues,
\nwhich are linked to his future. So we’ll see how things will play
\nout, but all our requests addressed to the American side are still
\nin effect and our offers are on the table.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n