The 'Obama needs EU' tour provides a perfect solution to Germany

The final destination for the ‘Obama needs EU’ tour is Germany. In the past Germany has condemned the existence of Guantánamo Bay. Now we are asking Germany to actively contribute to making this happen by accepting inmates who are in desperate need of assistance.

Of the 196 prisoners remaining in Guantánamo, approximately 50 face torture or persecution if returned to their home country. These men are refugees from known rights-abusing states like Algeria, China, Libya, Russia, Syria and Tunisia. Germany can provide a safe and appropriate residence for detainees from Guantánamo, giving them a chance to rebuild their lives.

Chancellor Merkel stated that Germany favoured Obama’s move to close the facility in Cuba and wanted to be a part of the solution. She is quoted as saying, "when there is a common solution in the offering, we will constructively contribute to it.”

The solution has never been more transparent by participating in the attempt to close Guantánamo; Germany is showing a strong commitment to international human rights. We hope that Germany will lead the way in offering humanitarian protection to those inmates in Guantánamo who have no other place to go.