09/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 7 April, a Federal Appeals Court in Washington authorised the transfer by the US of Guantanamo detainees to other countries. Nine Chinese Uighur Muslims had requested US justice to protect them from being sent back to China, a country where they are in danger of being persecuted. The Court deems that, “as long as the certified Executive…the US does not transfer a detainee to an environment in which he could be tortured”, detainees have nothing to fear from being transferred against their will. So far, neither the US nor EU countries want to take them in. Joanne Mariner from Human Rights Watch recently said that the easiest way of launching serious negotiations with the EU would be for the US to accept the Uighurs. She declared that, “if all European nations accepted two or three Guantanamo detainees, the most complicated part of the problem would be resolved””. Around 240 people are still held in Guantanamo. (B.C./trans/rh)