Olchfa 6th Formers & MP's Human Rights Appeal

Geraint Davies, Labour & Co-operative MP for Swansea West, was at Olchfa School this week talking with the Citizenship AS group about human rights - including his experience in getting British detainees released from Guantanamo Bay and the plight of Sakinih Mohammadi Ishtiani in Iran who has been sentenced to death for adultery.

Said Geraint "The Olchfa students were interested in how in practice the abuse of human rights can be confronted. I explained my role as a constituency MP in leading the campaign in Parliament to ensure British detainees in Guantanamo Bay should have a fair trial and fair treatment. This included getting the support of 260 MPs from all parties and ended up with the detainees being returned home to Britain and living normal lives again. We cannot preach democracy and human rights abroad if we tolerate human rights abuse for those in custody without charge in Guantanamo Bay.

"We also discussed the importance of balancing the needs of security and the fundamental right to life with the right to liberty. At a time that Britain faces a serious threat from Al Qaeda I have not supported reductions in time in custody without trial in Britain. 90 days in custody in Britain is hardily the same as 3 years in Guantanamo Bay being tortured!

"The students were keen to talk about individual cases of human rights abuse including those of an Iranian woman Sakinih Mohammadi Ishtiani  who was sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery. She now faces the death penalty by being hung from an industrial crane instead . This is an appalling afront to human rights.

"I am planning to stand to be the Welsh Parliamentary representative to the Council of Europe which has already ensured that a death penalty free zone is established across its 47 country membership of 800 million people including Russia. The Council also appoints the judges to the European Court of Human Rights.

"The Olchfa students know that only by standing up individually for human rights can we eventually collectively be free."

Pictured Geraint Davies MP with Olchfa 6th formers Gabrielle Thomas, Holly Palmer, Daniel Taylor and Jenny Evans.