Category: Activism

by Andy Worthington

100 Former Guantánamo Prisoners, Ex-US Government Officials, Lawyers, Academics, Psychologists, Public Figures and Rights Organizations Send Letter to President Biden Urging Him to Free the 16 Men Still Held at Guantánamo Who Have Long Been Approved for Release; Second Letter is Sent by 40 British MPs and Peers, Academics and CEOs of UK Rights Organizations

Today, December 6, 2024, 100 individuals and organizations — including 36 former Guantánamo prisoners, 36 ex-US government officials, lawyers, academics, psychologists and public figures, and 28 rights organizations — have written to President Biden, with a second letter sent simultaneously by 40 British MPs and peers, academics and the CEOs of UK rights organizations, to urge him to take urgent action to free 16 men still held in the prison at Guantánamo Bay (out of 30 in total) who have long been approved for release.

These decisions, which were unanimously agreed through robust, high-level US government review processes, took place many years ago — between two and four years ago, and in three outlying cases nearly 15 years ago.

The former prisoners signing the US and international letter include the authors Mansoor Adayfi and Mohamedou Ould Slahi, and the supporters include Larry Wilkerson, the former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the musician and activist Roger Waters.

The UK letter includes 20 Parliamentarians, the Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, and the film director Kevin Macdonald (‘The Mauritanian’).

As the signatories explain in the letters:

“In total, these 16 men have been held for between 17 and 22 years without charge or trial. All were subjected to long years of fundamentally arbitrary imprisonment before the decisions were taken to release them, and the failure to free them only adds salt to an already bitter wound that thoroughly undermines the US’s supposed commitment to fundamental norms regarding the deprivation of liberty. It is time for this lingering injustice to be swiftly brought to an end.”

The signatories to the US and international letter are:

Antonio Aiello, writer and editor
Stephen Benson Ph.D., retired psychologist
Trudy Bond, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology
Marshall Carter-Tripp, retired Foreign Service officer and political science professor
Mary Pelton Cooper, PsyD, psychologist, Professor of Psychology (Retired)
Gale Coskan-Johnson, Brock University
Roy Eidelson, PhD, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology
Mark Fallon, Deputy Commander, Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force (DOD-CITF) at Guantanamo, 2002-04
Kevin Gosztola, journalist
Karen J. Greenberg, Director, Center on National Security at Fordham Law
Nancy Hollander, international criminal defense attorney
Jeffrey S. Kaye, PhD, psychologist (ret.) and author of “Cover-up at Guantanamo”
Deborah Kory, PsyD.
Linda Lewis, Associate Member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Dr. Alexandra M. Lossada, Assistant Professor of Ethnic American Literatures, Berry College
M. Brinton Lykes, PhD, Professor Emerita, Boston College
Ray McGovern, former CIA Presidential Briefer
Alexandra Moore, Binghamton University
Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council (ret.)
Bradley D. Olson, PhD, National Louis University
Sara Olson, Committee member, Women Against Military Madness and Tackling Torture at the Top
Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, Judge Advocate, US Army (Ret.)
Steven Reisner, Psychoanalyst and founding member, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology
Coleen Rowley, retired FBI agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel
E. Martin Schotz, MD
Stephen Soldz, President-elect, Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology (APA Division 39)
Richard Sroczynski, convenor, Close Guantanamo Coalition
Elizabeth Swanson, PhD, Professor of Literature and Human Rights, Babson College, Wellesley, MA
Don E. Walicek, Professor, University of Puerto Rico
Belinda Walzer, Associate Professor of English, Appalachian State University
Roger Waters, musician/activist
Deborah M. Weissman, Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law
Esther Whitfield, Brown University
Lawrence B. Wilkerson, COL, USA (Ret), former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell
Thomas Wilner, Counsel for Khalid Qassim
Sarah G. Wilton, CDR (ret.) USNR; Defense Intelligence Agency (retired), member, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

Former Guantánamo prisoners

Mahmood Abdulaziz
Abdualmalik Abud
Mohammed Al-Adahi
Mansoor Adayfi
Ahmed Adnan
Mohsen Alaskari
Hammad Alli
Saad Almalky
Djamel Ameziane
Mohammed Ansi
Khalid Al-Asmar
Mohammed Al-Badawi
Sufyian Barhoumi
Ahmed Belbacha
Belkacem Bensayah
Ghalib Al-Bihani
Lakhdar Boumediene
Younous Chekkouri
Omar Deghayes
Jamil Elbanna
Ahmed Errachidi
Din Muhammad Farhad
Abdulrahman Al-Ghaith
Fahad Ghazi
Sadeq Mohammed
Waleed Mohammed
Samir Naji
Abdellatif Nasser
Bashir Nassir
Mohammed Al-Odainy
Ahmed Rabbani
Saeed Ahmed Al-Sarem
Mohamedou Ould Slahi
Hisham Sliti
Muktar Al-Wrafi
Moussa Zemmouri

Ban Killer Drones
Brooklyn for Peace
CAGE International
Close Guantánamo
CODEPINK
Defending Rights & Dissent
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
5C Cultural Center
Granny Peace Brigade
Guantánamo Survivors Fund
Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP)
Muslim Counterpublics Lab
Muslim Solidarity Committee, Albany, NY
New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN)
North Carolina Stop Torture Now
NYC Metro Raging Grannies
Pax Christi New York State
Peacemakers of Schoharie County
Project SALAM (Support And Legal Advocacy for Muslims), Albany, NY
September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Tea Project
United Muslim Alliance of Albany
Uptown Progressive Action
Veterans for Peace Chapter 27
Veterans for Peace – NYC Chapter 34
Witness Against Torture
World BEYOND War
World Can’t Wait

The signatories to the UK letter are:

Moazzam Begg, Senior Director, CAGE International, former Guantánamo prisoner
Apsana Begum MP, UK Member of Parliament (Labour)
Baroness Natalie Bennett, Member of UK House of Lords (Green)
Siân Berry MP, UK Member of Parliament (Green)
Sara Birch, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Brighton, Secretariat, APPG for Closing the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility
Sir Peter Bottomley, Former Father of the House of Commons (Conservative)
Rt. Hon. Tom Brake, former Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Liberal Democrats)
Ellie Chowns MP, UK Member of Parliament (Green)
Hedley Christ, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Brighton
Martyn Day, co-founder and Senior Partner, Leigh Day & Co., human rights lawyers
Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UK
Dr. Deepa Govindarajan Driver, academic and trade unionist
Lord Dubs, Member of UK House of Lords (Labour)
Prof. Susan Edwards, Professor of Law, University of Northumberland, barrister
Prof. Conor Gearty, Professor of Human Rights Law. London School of Economics
Dr. Felicity Gerry KC, Libertas Chambers, London
Prof. Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, barrister, 25 Bedford Row, London
Jodie Gosling MP, UK Member of Parliament (Labour)
Baroness Sally Hamwee, Member of UK House of Lords (Liberal Democrats)
Lord Hendy KC, Member of UK House of Lords (Labour), barrister
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, Member of UK House of Lords (Green)
Gillian Keenan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Brighton
Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, Member of UK House of Lords (Labour), barrister
Chris Law MP, UK Member of Parliament (SNP) Chair, APPG for Closing the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility
Kevin Macdonald, Oscar-winning film director and producer, director of ‘The Mauritanian’
Mike Martin MP, UK Member of Parliament (Liberal Democrats)
Rachael Maskell MP, UK Member of Parliament (Labour)
Brian Mathew MP, UK Member of Parliament (Liberal Democrats)
Dr. Kasey McCall-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Public International Law. University of Edinburgh
John McDonnell MP, UK Member of Parliament (Labour)
Baroness Mobarik CBE, Member of UK House of Lords (Conservative)
Prof. Rachel Murray, Human Rights Implementation Centre, University of Bristol Law School
Prof. Ilan Pappé, Professor, College of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter
Lord Russell of Liverpool, Member of UK House of Lords
Vikki Slade MP, UK Member of Parliament (Liberal Democrats)
Clive Stafford Smith, human rights lawyer
Will Stone MP, UK Member of Parliament (Labour)
Natasha Tsangarides, Associate Director of Advocacy, Freedom from Torture
Andy Worthington, journalist, co-founder, Close Guantánamo
Anna Yearley OBE, Joint Executive Director, Reprieve

For further information, please contact:

Richard Sroczynski, convenor of the Close Guantánamo Coalition in the US on 732-763-6513
Sara Birch, co-convenor of the UK Guantánamo Network in the UK on +44 7710 789616
or Hugh Sandeman, co-convenor of the UK Guantánamo Network in the UK on +44 7785 502759

The UK Guantanamo Network appeared at the Amplify Human Rights Festival at Woolwich Works on 7 Dec 2024.

Guantanamo ex-detainee Mansoor Adyfi spoke, alongside Journalist Andy Worthington, the UKGN’s Co-Convener Sara Birch and Lise Rossi and Mark Clixby of Amnesty International.

“The Amplify event was a huge success” said Sara Birch afterwards, “Members of the audience fed back to me how impressed they were with both Mansoor and Andy’s presentations and passion.”

The event, run by Amnesty International UK, included speakers on a wide range of issues you can read in their full programme here.

An Exhibit of Art from Guantanamo in London

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London, E1 6LA

The exhibition opened on 5 December with talks by former detainee Mansoor Adayfi and journalists Andy Worthington.

Exhibition Dates: 5 December 2024 – 5 January 2025
Location: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London, E1 6LA
RSVP: Dominique.ONeil@outlook.com and Lise.Rossi@amnesty.org.uk

The UK Guantánamo Network, in collaboration with Amnesty International UK, proudly presents “Don’t Forget Us Here”, an exhibition of art created by former* Guantánamo Bay detainees, shedding light on the injustice of indefinite detention without trial or charge.

This poignant exhibition aims to illustrate that the prisoners have stories, emotions, dignity and humanity. The pieces offer a rare and personal insight into the lives of those who suffered and are a call to remember their experiences and the ongoing fight for justice. This exhibition is not only a space for art but also a platform for raising awareness about the human rights violations that have occurred in Guantánamo Bay and the continued struggles for justice and accountability.

This event is a not-for-profit initiative, organized entirely through the support of charitable donations and volunteer efforts. No one involved in the event, including the artists, is receiving payment. All contributions are dedicated to the success of the event and the cause it supports.

To join the UK Guantanamo Network, email Dominique.ONeil@outlook.com or Lise.Rossi@amnesty.org.uk.  To join the Amnesty International Kent Network, or for more information, email Dominique.ONeil@outlook.com.

There were threats of thunderstorms but we had a good turnout in front of Parliament in October. As every month, we were joined by groups protesting outside the White House in Washington, D.C., in London, New York City, San Francisco, Brussels, Cobleskill, NY, Detroit, Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon.

In Strasbourg, at the Council of Europe, a Belgian campaigner successfully persuaded delegates at a meeting to have a photo taken in solidarity with those holding vigils worldwide. 

For more on the worldwide vigil visit the website of Andy Worthington, who has gathered photos of all the actions.

Thursday 11th January shamefully marked 22 years since the first detainees were transferred in sub-human conditions to Guantanamo. 30 men still remain in detention. Over half of these men have been cleared for release. Others have been subjected to unfair trials. That makes five presidential administrations, three of them promising to finally close Guantanamo, yet still it sits there making hypocrites of us all.

The UK Guantanamo Network marked the day with a demonstration, marching from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square and hearing speeches by Apsana Begum MP, journalist and campaigner Andy Worthington, Lise Rossi of Amnesty International and others.

Our vigil on the first of November outside the US Embassy managed to catch US Vice President Kamala Harris on her visit there. Organiser Sara Birch says she is sure Harris would have heard attendees shouting and cars beeping for the closure of Guantanamo.

Members of the UK Guantanamo Network joined with the family of Ravil Mingazov in front of the London Embassy of the United Arab Emirates on 16 September to call for his release.

Ravil Mingazov, who was held in Guantanamo for 15 years without charge, was released to the UAE in 2017 but was then immediately locked up in prison again, for no discernible reason.

Nick Beals of Reprive told the Guardian “Ravil has been on hunger strike, and we’re aware that he’s being tortured, whilst detained in the UAE as well. He’s been held in solitary confinement for extended periods, and he’s suffered physical abuse at the hands of the guards detaining him.”

The UK Guantanamo Network demands that the former Guantanamo detainee be released from detention in the UAE and reunited with his family in the UK as a matter of urgency.

Ravil Mingazov’s son Yusuf posted a letter into the embassy, signed by MPs and Peers in the All Party Parliamentary Group.

Journalist Andy Worthington, a member of UK Guantanamo Network, has written about Ravil’s case and the vigil at the embassy.

Mr. Worthington gave an eloquent address to the vigil, which you can see on YouTube here:

Other articles on Ravil Mingazov:

The Middle East Eye

The Guardian

The Nation

Vigil in London on 6 September 2023