Abstract

Guantanamo Bay set a precedent in the international community, which is that places exist outside the scope of international law. This legislative mess allowed countless detainees to have their rights constantly abused in a place referred to as a legal black hole. Despite the many instruments passed proclaiming that the rights of prisoners must be preserved, the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are continuously violated. This standard has been set by the United States, allowing this state to control a territory that violates the human rights standards this same state claims to preach. There is much hypocrisy at play in this scenario, as The United States has jumped through countless loopholes to prolong this treatment at Guantanamo Bay. This research project will explore how international and national legislation has failed the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and how the ineffective nature of these laws can be prevented in the future.