From the Archive

Thank you from Shaker Aamer; Support our fundraiser and January Fast

Dear Friends and supporters

Witness Against Torture formed in 2005 when 25 Americans went to Guantánamo Bay and attempted to visit the detention facility. Once we returned from that journey, we began to organize more broadly to shut down Guantánamo, working with interfaith, human rights and activist organizations.

As we approach our ten year anniversary, we are still here at the forefront of the struggle to close Guantanamo and end torture everywhere. Our most recent celebration was Shaker Aamer’s release to his family and home in the UK. He sent his supporters a message included below – please read it! It’s for you too. You helped get him home.

And the work continues. There are 112 men left indefinitely detained at Guantanamo Bay Prison. They need to be released, not moved to a new prison. There is also a man – Younous Chekkouri, who was released from Guantanamo in September only to be detained by his own government in Morocco. His wife wrote a heartwrenching appeal here and our partners at Reprieve are encouraging folks to write to John Kerry here.

President Obama’s last year in office is approaching and we have decided to put together a video, explaining our mission and work, and launch a fundraiser to raise $8,000 by December 15. We need your help to make this effort successful.

Please click on the image above or click here to donate : https://www.razoo.com/story/Witness-Against-Torture

Please share the fundraiser page and Witness Against Torture’s mission with your family and friends via email, facebook, twitter and all other forms of communication.

With your support, we will carry on in our activities until torture is decisively ended, its victims are fully acknowledged, Guantánamo and similar facilities are closed, and those who ordered and committed torture are held to account

January Fast for Justice: January 3rd to the 13th, 2016:

Please also consider joining us in D.C. this January to continue our witness. If you know you are coming please RSVP to witnesstorture@gmail.com

A Photo and a Message from Shaker Aamer to His Supporters:

Shaker Aamer writes:

Hi Joanne and Andy,

Please send this message below to all of those who campaigned with We Stand With Shaker, the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, those who fasted for me, MPs, and everyone else you know who has fought for my release.

I can’t tell you how much I want to speak to all of you and stand with all of you, carrying on the struggle for justice for everybody who has been oppressed and needs our help. If there is one thing we can do to save the whole world it is to fight for justice. We will work hard together to close Guantánamo and every unlawful facility run by any government worldwide. Justice has no colour or religion or race.

I promise all of you good people — those whose names I know, and those whose names I do not know — that my heart and my spirit feel your thoughts of justice. I care for you all.

Yours sincerely,

Shaker Aamer ISN 239

11.11.15

Witness Against Torture on Social Media:
Please “like” us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter & Instagram.
Check out our latest news and updates on Tumblr.
Post any pictures of your local activities to our flicker account and we will help spread the word.

Donate to support our work:
Witness Against Torture is completely volunteer driven and run. We have no paid staff, but do have expenses associated with our organizing work. If you are able, please donate here: https://www.razoo.com/story/Witness-Against-Torture