From the Archive
November Newsletter: Prisoner released, New project on Guantanamo, January 11th
As we send this newsletter on a day set aside in the United States to recognize those who have fought in past wars (and fight for a world in which there is no war), we want to recognize the important voices of some in the military who have been in Guantanamo – like Terry Holbrooks, author of ‘My Time as a Guantanamo Bay Guard,’ and the unidentified Guantanamo nurse who refused to participate in forced feedings.
We also lift up the voices of Iraq Veterans Against the War, and celebrate the work they have done and continue to do – as we also mourn the losses these past weeks to their community.
Here at Witness Against Torture, we are busy preparing for our Annual Fast and Week of Action in January, and hope you will join us!
Last week brought a flurry of news and activities focused on Guantanamo. The news has been both hopeful — Fawzi al Odah was released from the indefinite detention; and frustrating — a judge refused to stop the brutal forced feeding of the hunger strikers.
We are also excited about a newly released project by Vice News featuring writings and art from men in Guantanamo.
Fawzi al Odah is released from Guantánamo.
Witness Against Torture applauds the release of Fawzi al Odah to Kuwait. Now 37 years old, he was held for nearly 13 years in Guantanamo but never charged with a crime. Today, we are thankful that Odah can finally embrace his love ones.
Currently, there are 148 detainees left at Guantanamo. 79 of them have been cleared for release.
Judge Kessler refuses to intervene in Wa-ei Dhiab Forced Feeding Case.
Wa- ei Dhiab is a Syrian man held without charge or trial at Guantánamo since 2002 and cleared for release in 2009. According to his attorneys, he has been forcibly extracted from his cell and force-fed as many as three times a day since the start of the hunger strike in 2012.
In October, WAT was present at the court hearing for Dhiab. The case sought to put a stop to the brutal forced-feeding of the men at Guantánamo protesting their indefinite detention and abuse at the prison. Click here to read courtroom reports by our own Helen Schietinger.
Initially, we were hopeful when Judge Gladys Kessler decided not to hold a secret court and demanded the release of the force-feeding videos. However, as of last week, she has refused to intervene and stop the forced feedings, saying there was “not sufficient evidence to demonstrate deliberate indifference on the part of the government.”
Over the course of the last month, WAT have published a series of posters highlighting this case. Click here to to see them.
READ & CIRCULATE — Vice News launches impressive collection of stories entitled “Behind the Bars: Guantánamo.”
Behind the Bars is a collection of stories about the prison system and the people ingrained in it. Part one of this series focuses on the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. The series contains writing and art from men in the prison, lawyers, and academics. Please comment on and share these stories.
JOIN US in Washington D.C. for the annual Fast and Week of Action, January 5th -13th, 2015
The Witness Against Torture community will gather, fast and take action in Washington D.C. to remember the opening of the prison camp in Guantánamo. This January 11th, 2015 marks 13 years of torture and indefinite detention at Guantánamo Bay. Join us (and let us know you will be coming – more details for those who rsvp to witnesstorture@gmail.com
The image above is from our latest postcard to promote the fast and gathering. You can print this out and pass them around to your friends, family and organizing groups. LIMITED OFFER: We will mail you 20-50 postcards. Please request via email witnesstorture@gmail.com with your name, mailing address and the number of postcards.
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