GUANTANAMO Bay protesters will wear orange jumpsuits as they demonstrate against the military detention camp this weekend.

Forty Amnesty International members will take to the streets of Lewes on Saturday, calling for justice for the 40 men held in the camp – some for up to 18 years without charge or trial.

The US military facility in Cuba has been used since the 9/11 attacks to detain what Washington calls “enemy combatants”.

But the Lewes Amnesty group said it was protesting against the “continued operation of an illegal detention centre” where “dozens of men continue to languish without ever having been charged or faced a trial”.

Organiser Sara Birch, 56, said the practice “has no place in a modern democracy”.

She said the demonstrators wanted to make sure the men were not forgotten.

“We’re not expecting them to be released suddenly – but we want to keep it on people’s radar,” she said.

Though the protest in the Sussex town is thousands of miles from the detention camp in Cuba, Sara believes it will make a difference for the detainees.

She said: “These men have been made to feel worthless. We will be showing some humanity to other human beings.”

At one recent Lewes Amnesty meeting, the group spoke with former detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He was held in the camp for 14 years before being unconditionally released.

Detainees have not been able to see their families and he told members in Lewes how important it is for those in Guantanamo to feel that those outside are still aware of their plight.

Sara said: “It is likely that the detainees will become aware of our protest – and so by taking this action at the very least we will show these men that they have not been forgotten by the outside world.”

The Lewes Amnesty group is also planning to send each of the detainees a letter.

Sara said: “Amnesty International aims to shine a light on the darkness whenever and wherever human rights violations are taking place and this is what we are aiming to do next Saturday on behalf of those men still detained in Guantanamo.”

The demonstration is one of many the group has planned as the USA heads for another presidential election in the autumn.

In the 18th century, Lewes was home to Tom Paine, the “father of the American revolution” and the group said they want to hold dear to his principles.