SANAA, 16 July 2006 — Relatives of Yemeni prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba demonstrated outside Parliament in Sanaa yesterday calling for a Yemeni diplomatic effort to secure their release.
Protesters held up pictures of Yemeni prisoners in Guantanamo and banners calling for the closure of the US detention center. One banner read: “Guantanamo is a shame on the forehead of humanity.”
In a message delivered to MPs, organizers urged Parliament to contact parliaments of Arab and Muslim countries to put pressure on US authorities to close the prison.
According to Yemeni official sources, there are 130 nationals among more than 550 prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay.
Yemeni official sources, however, put the number at 130.
Last month a Yemeni detainee and two Saudis were found dead in their cells. The deaths renewed criticism of the base, which many human rights groups and some governments say should be closed.
