Bulgaria Confirms US Request to Accept Guantanamo Prisoners

Politics » DIPLOMACY | December 12, 2009, Saturday // 12:23
Bulgaria Confirms US Request to Accept Guantanamo Prisoners: Bulgaria Confirms US Request to Accept Guantanamo Prisoners Tsvetanov said that the issue would be discussed in the parliamentary committees on foreign policy and defense and internal security and public order. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has confirmed that Bulgaria has held talks with the US regarding accepting former prisoners of "Guantanamo Bay" on its territory.

Tsvetanov said that the issue would be discussed in the parliamentary committees on foreign policy and defense and internal security and public order.

A week ago US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that 116 Guantanamo prisoners out of 211, who are still in prison, may be transferred to other countries.

It was reported Friday that Daniel Fried, Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure of the US President Barack Obama, had sent a letter to Borisov, asking Bulgaria to accept three Guantanamo prisoners after he visited Bulgaria from December 2-3 and met with Bulgarian officials.

In his letter, Fried is reported to be stating that the relocation of the remaining Guantanamo inmates was critical for the realization of President Barack Obama’s plan to shut down the infamous prison on the Cuba island, mediapool.bg reported.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammerberg, has already called upon European states to accept about 50 Guantanamo prisoners. France, Italy, and Belgium have already expressed their willingness to help out the Americans.

The US are going to transfer to European states only Guantanamo prisoners whom the American authorities believe non-guilty, and are going to provide all the information on their suspected terrorist activity.

According to mediapool, Bulgaria’s former government of PM Sergey Stanishev was also asked by the USA to take in Guantanamo inmates but turned down the American offer.

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Tags: Guantanamo Bay, prisoners, Bulgaria, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Daniel Fried, Robert Gates

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