Cuba has demanded that the United States cease its "criminal conduct" in abusing prisoners held at the base it illegally occupies on Cuba's south-eastern tip, saying procedures at Guantanamo violate international law.
The foreign ministry said in a statement read on state television that Havana had sent a diplomatic letter to Washington, which was "reminded of the atrocities that are committed at the base, and that the very fact that illegally occupied Cuban territory is used as a prison violate several terms of international law and international humanitarian law".
The United States and Cuba had a 1903 agreement for Washington to set up the base only as a coal storage station and naval base, Cuba's communist Government noted.
President Fidel Castro's Government says the base agreement is not valid and rejects the US rent payments.
Washington maintains the base deal, struck when it dominated politics in Cuba, still stands.
"The torture and degrading treatment to which [the prisoners] are subject are a flagrant violation of human rights and many international treaties and conventions," the Cuban Government said.
Cuba "joins calls from the international community for the US Government to immediately cease these flagrant violations of prisoners' rights that, on top of it all, are being carried out on illegally occupied Cuban territory," it added.
In January 2002 Cuba said it did not "create obstacles" to the transfer of suspects in the war on terror whom the United States deems "enemy combatants".
The United States is holding 550 suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters at Camp Delta, a high-security camp in Guantanamo Bay, and has faced strong international criticism of the legal limbo that has left the prisoners without access to legal representation.
Two Australians, David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib, are being held at Guantanamo. Mr Habib is due to be repatriated to Australia.
By Just Us 20 January 05
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