NEWS:
Guantánamo Bay:
The US military
reported that it killed a former Guantánamo prisoner in an air strike in Yemen
on 2 March. Yasir Al-Silmi was collaterally targeted, and was not a target of
the strike. Al-Silmi was held at Guantánamo from 2002 to 2009 and was never
charged. The death of a former Guantánamo prisoner will undoubtedly help the US
to justify its ongoing attacks on Yemen along with other states.
Two sets of pre-trial
hearings were heard at the Guantánamo war court this month. On 2 March, a
hearing started for Abd Al-Nashiri, facing the death penalty for allegedly
killing US soldiers in the bombing of a naval vessel in the Gulf of Aden in
2000.
Issues included the secrecy surrounding evidence which is not revealed
to Al-Nashiri’s defence. In addition the judge said that the defence could call
former CIA officials as witnesses as part of the death penalty trial. These are
officials who were involved in the torture he faced while a prisoner in secret
CIA prisons around the world, including in Europe, where he was waterboarded. They
include James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, the psychologists who are currently
facing prosecution for their role in designing the CIA’s torture techniques. Torture
techniques they used on Al-Nashiri include: “the CIA
force-fed him Ensure “rectally” for going on a hunger strike in May 2004. He
also was alternately kenneled like a dog in a cage and hung nude by his arms to
the point where a medical officer worried his arms would be dislocated.
Other techniques
used on him during interrogations included a CIA officer revving a cordless
drill by Nashiri’s head while he was blindfolded, cocking a pistol near his
head and threatening to sexually abuse his mother.”
Mitchell has recently written a book in which he defends the use of
torture and is currently touring to promote it. Recent interviews have included
the BBC.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article137032948.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article137032948.html
During the pre-trial hearing, a
trial date in 2018 was set for Al-Nashiri, although the judge expects it will
take months to choose a military jury for the death penalty case. There are
other issues that may prevent a 2018 trial and given the severe torture
Al-Nashiri has already faced, he has no prospect of any semblance of a fair
trial. The US is seeking a conviction but not justice either for the victims of
the bombing or the victim they have created to take the blame.
Lawyers for Al-Nashiri have also
filed a case with the US Supreme Court to challenge Al-Nashiri’s military
detention in a federal court prior to his death penalty case being heard due to
the fact that he was held by the CIA for years and subjected to “physical, psychological and sexual torture.” His lawyers are also
asking the judges to decide when the “War on Terror” started as Al-Nashiri’s
offences pre-date September 2001. He is
the first former CIA prisoner to appeal to the Supreme Court. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article139424468.html
Pre-trial hearings were also held in the case of the five men accused of involvement in the September 2001 attacks in New York.
At least one prisoner stands a
chance of being released from Guantánamo by the Trump administration. Saudi
Ahmed Al-Darbi, 42, pleaded guilty in 2014 to terror charges. He has a
sentencing hearing scheduled for August. He agreed to provide testimony in the
death penalty case of Abd Al-Nashiri in return for being allowed to serve
his sentence in Saudi Arabia.
The case is seen as a test of the
Trump administration’s willingness to fulfil agreements concerning Guantánamo
made by the previous administration. Al-Darbi is expected to testify against
Al-Nashiri during a pre-trial hearing in July; he agreed to postpone his sentencing
to allow him to testify.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article137540383.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article137540383.html
Syrian refugee and former
Guantánamo prison Jihad Dhiab sent to Uruguay in 2014, who went on hunger
strike last year to be allowed to reunite with his family, had a visit from his
daughter for two weeks in the first half of March. It is the first time he has
seen his daughter, who got married last year, in 17 years. A refugee in Turkey,
the UNHCR facilitated her journey to Uruguay and back. Friends of Dhiab
reported that he was very happy with the visit.
When he went to leave his daughter
at the airport for her journey back, he tried to board a flight to Moscow but
was prevented from travelling as he did not have a visa. Similarly, he tried to
travel to South Africa last year but was turned back at Johannesburg as he did
not have an entry document.
On 21 March, 69-year old Pakistani
prisoner Saifullah Paracha, Guantánamo’s oldest prisoner, had his second
periodic review of his case. In spite of his poor health and tenuous links to
the events attributed to him, the US decided to continue his detention last
year. Paracha, a businessman, said he would just like to return to his family
and plans to retire from his business activity in any case.
A further review was held for
Haroon Al-Afghani on 28 March.
Three of four of the Uighur
refugees released from Guantánamo to Bermuda are currently having their
applications for naturalization reviewed by the Home Office in the UK. As they
are stateless, and do not wish to return to China from where they fled
persecution, they are unable to travel or access certain services due to their
status. They have been joined by their families who are also affected by this.
Extraordinary
rendition:
In a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against two CIA-contracted psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, the Trump administration has invoked executive powers to prevent several senior CIA officials from testifying. They include Gina Haspel, now deputy director of the CIA, who previously ran a CIA torture prison in Thailand. This is the first time the Trump administration had used this power which is rarely used by governments.
In a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against two CIA-contracted psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, the Trump administration has invoked executive powers to prevent several senior CIA officials from testifying. They include Gina Haspel, now deputy director of the CIA, who previously ran a CIA torture prison in Thailand. This is the first time the Trump administration had used this power which is rarely used by governments.
A hearing was supposed to be held in the
case in June but has been put back to September now, signalling that there may
be further delays ahead in this case.
LGC Activities:
The LGC’s March Shut
Guantánamo! demo was held on 2 March. The April demonstration is at 12-1pm
outside the US Embassy and 1.15-2.15pm outside Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park: https://www.facebook.com/events/1301737829933208/
The LGC joined the March
Against Racism in London on 19 March to raise awareness about the situation
about Guantánamo. Activists spoke to journalists and reminded demonstrators of
the ongoing situation at Guantánamo.
The LGC joined a
demonstration on 29 March outside the Pakistan High Commission to mark 14 years
since Dr Aafia Siddiqui and her 3 children were kidnapped and “disappeared” in
Pakistan with the collusion of the US and Pakistani authorities. In 2010 she
was convicted of attempting to kill US military personnel and sentenced to 86
years in prison, a life sentence she is currently serving in Texas. Access to
lawyers and her family is severely restricted. Her family is demanding the
Pakistani authorities take action to have her repatriated to Pakistan to serve
her sentence there. Her 6-month old son has never been found.
