Dear President Obama,

We, the undersigned human rights and civil liberties organizations, are writing to urge you to take immediate steps to end indefinite detention without charge and begin closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay. If ever there were a moment to act upon the promise you made over four years ago to shutter the prison, it is now. For several weeks, major news outlets, attorneys for the prisoners, and even military officials have been reporting that there is a large hunger strike occurring among the men detained at Guantánamo. The current situation is the predictable result of continuing to hold prisoners indefinitely without charge for more than 11 years. Therefore, we urge you to begin working to transfer the remaining detained men to their home countries or other countries for resettlement, or to charge them in a court that comports with fair trial standards. We also urge you to appoint an individual within your administration to lead the transfer effort. (...)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, again stated that the continued operation of Guantánamo Bay remains a “clear breach of international law,” and reiterated that it should be closed. While we stand ready to support the Administration’s efforts to close Guantánamo Bay in a manner consistent with its international legal obligations, this problem demands your presidential leadership. We urge you to act now.

Sincerely,

Center for Constitutional Rights
American Civil Liberties Union
Amnesty International
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Center for Justice & Accountability
Center for Justice and International Law
Center for Victims of Torture
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Defending Dissent Foundation
Human Rights Advocates
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination
International Federation for Human Rights
International Justice Network
National Lawyers Guild
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Physicians for Human Rights
Reprieve
The Constitution Project
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
United States Human Rights Network
Urban Justice Center
Witness Against Torture

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/11/joint-letter-president-obama-closing-guantanamo