The sister of a Brighton resident held prisoner in Guantanamo Bay has told of the "indescribable" impact her brother's incarceration is having on her family.

Amani Deghayes, whose brother Omar will soon have spent four years in the US military camp, without being charged with any crime, said: "Every day is a struggle but we are determined to see this through.

"The sheer injustice of holding Omar for years without even charging him with anything is unbelievable. I'm not looking for any special treatment for my brother. I just want his basic human rights to be respected.

"What disappoints me most is the unwillingness of the UK government to lift a finger for my brother. The British Government says it cannot represent those who chose not to seek British citizenship. Since Omar was taken to Guantanamo the impact on our family has been indescribable."

Miss Deghayes, whose family lives in Saltdean, Brighton, having fled political persecution in Libya 25 years ago, made her comments as human rights campaigners renewed calls for the release of 36-year-old Mr Deghayes and other British residents.

Amnesty International, which today publishes a report on the impact of long term detention on prisoners and their relatives, claims more than 500 people are still being held at the US naval base in Cuba.

No British nationals are currently detained in Guantanamo but Amnesty believes nine detainees have previously been resident in the UK and some of those have relatives here.

Mr Deghayes, who grew up in Brighton, has told his lawyer he has been attacked by guards and blinded in one eye.

Kate Allen, Amnesty's UK Director, said: "The UK Government's reluctance to act on behalf of longterm residents of this country is itself shameful and must change.

"These men have become forgotten prisoners. After four years Guantanamo has become a byword for abuse and an indictment of the US Government's failure to uphold human rights in the war on terror.

"The US authorities should immediately close down Guantanamo and either release prisoners or bring them before proper courts on the US mainland."