Guantánamo! Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Bahía de Guantánamo – the exotic sounding name for the bay in the south of Cuba is deceptive. Since at least 2002, Guantánamo has stood for an ominous chapter in the history of the superpower Americas approach to human rights. The strategically important port of Guantánamo has been used by the United States as a naval base ever since 1903, leased in perpetuity for an annual payment of 4,085 US dollars. The territory covers an area of about 118 square kilometres; its landward border is protected by a 28 kilometre long boundary fence with watch-towers, and the coastline by mines.
On 11 January 2002, after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the American government established Camp X-Ray prison camp on the base, replacing it later by the largerCamp Delta. The prisoners interned in Guantánamo were members of the Taliban and al Qaida and those who were believed to be associated with these groups. The reason for locating the camps Cuba lies in the fact that Guantánamo is subject not to theUS civilian court system but to military jurisdiction. Several organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross have made allegations of severe torture, charges which have been borne out by the records of interrogation published in the meantime.

Together with the English actress and peace activist Vanessa Redgrave the RuhrTriennale will be concerning itself with subject of Guantánamo. Actors will read from the interrogation records, Vanessa Redgrave and her companions will then recite the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. A panel made up of activists, politicians and persons affected will then discuss the issue of whether restrictions have to be placed on human rights in times of terrorist threats.

A reading followed by a discussion
Chaired by Heribert Prantl
With Melinda Crane, Klaus Harpprecht, Jonathan Meese, Oskar Negt