French inmates treated adequately

Prisoners are denied legal access

A delegation from France visiting French prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says there are no concerns about their condition.

The French nationals are being held at the US military base among 660 suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda members.

In a statement, the French foreign ministry said the physical health of the prisoners appeared to be adequate.

The statement said the French delegation had been able to meet each prisoner individually.

The foreign ministry also confirmed it had located a seventh prisoner at the base who had previously been unaccounted for.

Legal issues

The delegation said they had been able to meet each prisoner individually and reassure them that the French authorities remained attentive to their cases.

It is the third visit by France to its prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.

Paris had earlier expressed concerns over the condition of its nationals being held there.

Human rights groups have criticised the findings of the French team, arguing that it did not contain any lawyers. They argue that is an important omission because there are so many legal issues at stake for the prisoners.

Washington says the prisoners are "enemy combatants" who have no right to lawyers and may be held indefinitely without charge.

Britain, Sweden, Spain, France and Germany all have citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay, and there have been calls for the European Union to present a united front to secure their release.

Many prisoners at the base have been held for two years without being able to see their families or lawyers.