As we have done every year since 2008, the London Guantánamo
Campaign organised the main UK event to mark the anniversary of the opening of the
US military-run Guantánamo Bay prison camp. As in recent years, it was one of
the largest events worldwide, with possibly only a larger protest coordinated by
a coalition of US organisations outside the White House in Washington DC. More
than 100 people joined the London Guantánamo Campaign (LGC) on a very cold
evening for a candlelight vigil, demonstrating the commitment to human rights
of the British people and the desire to see Guantánamo closed even after all
the British nationals and residents have returned. |
| Shaker Aamer lights candles at the candlelight vigil |
 |
| Former prisoner Moazzam Begg |
This year’s event, on the evening of Monday 11th
January, entitled “History
in the Making”, had a sense of urgency to it: as Guantánamo Bay enters the
fifteenth year of its regime of torture and indefinite detention without trial,
Barack Obama enters the final year of his second term as president of the
United States. It is now six years since he promised to close Guantánamo by
January 2010, in an executive decree he signed in one of his first acts as
president. With less than one year left to go of his presidency, questions have
been raised as to whether he can and will deliver on his many promises to close
Guantánamo Bay.
Although there was good news on the day with the
repatriation of Saudi Mohammad
Abdul Rahman al Shumrani, one of 17 prisoners due to be released this
month, the LGC is particularly concerned about the fate of those prisoners who,
after 14 years, have not been cleared for release and have not been charged, as
expressed in our media
release. Obama’s plan appears to be not to close Guantánamo and end indefinite
detention but to close the facility and transfer the remaining prisoners
elsewhere. The LGC’s rejection of this proposal was made clear on our main
banner for the protest: “Shut Guantanamo – Don’t Move It”.
The LGC is pleased to have been joined by a number of former
British nationals and residents who were previously held at Guantánamo Bay.
With the exception of Shaker
Aamer, released in October 2015, all have joined LGC events in the past,
but we have not pointed them out in the past, and did not point them out on
this occasion, out of respect for their privacy. Former prisoners Moazzam Begg,
who was released in 2005, and Shaker Aamer, in his first unmediated address to
the public (video below), spoke at the vigil. It was an honour for the LGC to have these two
former prisoners share their feelings and views on the 14th
anniversary of Guantánamo with us, and to join us in standing in solidarity
with the remaining prisoners.
 |
| Jean Lambert MEP |
As an open mic event, there were no scheduled speakers.
Contributions were also made by Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, Sheikh
Suliman Gani from Tooting Mosque, Lindsey German from the Stop The War
Coalition, American peace activist Paul Polansky, John Clossick and Ray Silk from
the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, and campaigners Hamja Ahsan, Peter Tatchell and
Dr David Nichol. The event was compered by David Harrold from the LGC and Val
Brown from the LGC also spoke about the case of Omar Khadr.
The LGC was also joined by other prisoner support campaigns,
including for Chelsea Manning, and a contribution was also made at the mic by
the daughter of Munir Farooqi, a British
man currently serving 4 life sentences for terrorism after being set up by
undercover police officers.
Other prisoners whose cases the LGC supports were
mentioned, including Dr Aafia Siddiqui and Shawki Ahmed Omar. CND director Kate
Hudson gave her apologies for not being able to join activists. Statements were
also read out on behalf of Guantánamo lawyers Barry Wingard, whose client Fayiz
Al-Kandari returned to Kuwait on 9 January, and Nancy Hollander, who provided a
statement about her client, Guantánamo
Diary author Mohamedou Ould Slahi (please see below).
As well as an open mic, Sheikh Suliman Gani led activists in
reading out the names of the remaining 103 prisoners (there are currently 93)
and calls for each of them to be set free.
The London Guantánamo Campaign will be back outside the US Embassy on 4
February at 12pm for our first monthly Shut Guantánamo! demonstration of 2016,
and the 9th anniversary of our regular protests demanding that Guantánamo
closes, outside the Embassy.
Bernard Sullivan, who joined the anniversary vigil for the
first time this year, spoke at the vigil and later shared his thoughts about
it:
 |
“"Jottings on a Guantanamo Vigil"
I met Shaker Aamer today, and between his media
interviews and speeches to the gathering outside the US embassy marking the
14th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo, had the opportunity to speak
with him. I found an exceptional character, open, friendly, charismatic, and a
motivational orator, who expressed a strong belief in one human race, without
distinction of colour, religion or race. A living example of how the human
spirit can not only survive the terrible ordeal that he was put through, but
can grow enormously from it. He was overwhelmed by the fact that while
incarcerated for years with nothing to do but sit in his 6 x 8 cell, many
outside with jobs, families, children and many other responsibilities, had
given up years of their time to campaign for him and his fellow detainees.
As an active supporter for the closure of Guantanamo of a
mere three months standing, I found myself in awe of those around me, but
determined to stand with them until the human rights hypocrisy that is
Guantanamo is closed for good, and the many innocents held within, are truly
free.
Only then, can the USA and its supporting allies begin to
emerge from this darkest shadow of their own making, and try to restore the
catastrophic loss of trust of countless people around the globe.”
The LGC thanks everyone who joined us and stood with us in
solidarity with the prisoners still held at Guantánamo Bay.
Statement by Barry Wingard about his client Fayiz
Al-Kandari who was released to Kuwait on Saturday 9 January:
“It has been a long fourteen year road to show that the
United States Government had no actual evidence against Fayiz.
It should really come as no surprise, of the 779 men held in
Cuba's most notorious prison, fewer than 15 will be given a kangaroo proceeding
in the military commissions. Almost all
the guys getting trial "like" proceedings were brought to GTMO from
CIA torture sites in 2006 to "scare up the place."
I look forward to seeing Fayiz and his family back in Kuwait
where he should have been for the last fourteen years of his life. I know Fayiz is too smart to hold a grudge as
he would say "being angry at others gives them power over you, be strong
and ignore those who seek to do you harm.
In that way you show you are stronger than them."
Well Fayiz, time to get on with the rest of our lives as we
have both been freed from GTMO. Time to
find your wife and start your family my friend.
Let me be the first to welcome you back.”
Statement by Nancy Hollander about her client Mohamedou
Ould Slahi, best-selling author, the last Mauritanian in Guantánamo and
extraordinary rendition victim, who has yet to be cleared for release:
“I speak to you on behalf of Mohamedou Ould Slahi. I know he
would want to thank everyone for your commitment to demand that Guantanamo be
closed, that everyone who is not being prosecuted be sent home or to a third
country and that that those facing prosecution be tried in a regular United
States court with all the constitutional protections that apply to every
person---citizen and alien---who is charged with crimes against the United
States. Closing Guantanamo means closing it forever, not moving it to another
location. Mohamedou Ould Slahi has been incarcerated by the United States for
fourteen years. He is an innocent man who has never been charged with any
crime. Although he was tortured, he remains unbroken. His dignity, humor and
humanity are available for all to see in his memoir, Guantanamo Diary, now
available in 21 countries and 19 languages. We will not cease our efforts until
he is free. ”
 | |
| Sheikh Suliman Gani with Shaker Aamer |
Further media of this event:
It is heartwarming to see that there are still so many, after 14 years of official procrastinating stonewalling, prepared to turn out on a winter's night to hold government's to account for state-sanctioned criminality, inhumanity, cruelty and illegality.
ReplyDelete