Inauguration Bleachers

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#foreverhumanbeings Rolling Fast

Thanksgiving at Guantánamo

WAT has initiated a rolling fast during Ramadan and beyond to lift up the stories of the 41 men detained at Guantanamo Bay Prison.  Starting Friday May 26, several people each day will fast, make phone calls to people in power, contribute a photo to the anti-Guantánamo social media campaign, and send a letter to a prisoner at Guantánamo. We encourage you to get to know the men detained at Guantanamo. We will be posting stories and profiles of them each day of the campaign, so check our facebook and twitter account and please send us thoughts, drawings and reflection that you have during your fast.

If you have not chosen one or several days yet, please sign up here. We will be sending out reminder emails to folks who have signed up, so even if you think we know you’re fasting, please make sure you have filled out the form.

Fasting

You are free to choose how you fast, whether it is from sunrise to sunset or for 24 hours, or if you drink liquids or simply water.  For Muslims who are observing Ramadan, we ask that you dedicate your fast to the prisoner of the day and remember them in your prayers and your supplications when breaking your fast. Please email us if you have any questions.

Call Your Representatives

You can find your House and Senate representative’s contact information here.

Call the White House (202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414), the US embassy in Cuba (305-326-2755) and Southern Command (305-437-1213), which oversees the running of the prison.

We have provided some talking points below. You can read our News updates and also follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more up to date information on what is happening at Guantánamo Bay Prison.

~ Each Guantánamo detainee must either be charged and fairly tried in federal court, or be released to countries that will respect their human rights.

~ Release the names of the men who are on hunger strike.

~ Expedite the release of those that are cleared. 5 of the current prisoners have been cleared for release, yet they continue to languish behind bars. Justice delayed is justice denied.

~ Release the men who have been tortured, to a competent and fair international body if necessary. The US is a signatory of the UN Convention Against Torture. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has reported that the Guantánamo Bay prison is non-compliant to this Convention and has named indefinite detention as a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee’s Torture Report has extensively documented instances of torture by the CIA. Some of the victims are currently housed in Guantánamo.

~ Provide reasonable resettlement options, including torture treatment services and reparations. To ensure accountability for torture and indefinite detention, released prisoners should be provided with critical social services to facilitate their re-entry into society.

~ Publicly acknowledge and apologize for the egregious human rights violation at Guantánamo during the War on Terror. This acknowledgement is essential for preventing torture, indefinite detention, and other violations from being perpetrated by future administrations.

~ Close the base. The U.S. must immediately relinquish Cuba’s sovereign territory.

Write a letter

~ Messages should be kept to simple messages of greeting and goodwill.  Do not include political comments.

~ Only send non-religious cards, and avoid referring to religion in your message.  For example: rather than writing “you are in our prayers”, write “you are in our thoughts.”

~ Include your name and address (including country) in your message.  If you receive a reply, please send a copy to witnesstorture@gmail.com.

~ Write your message in simple English, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Detainee Name
Detainee ISN (listed here)
U.S. Naval Station
Guantánamo Bay
Washington D.C. 20355
United States of America

Please join us in remembering the men locked away, now forever, at Guantánamo and working to close the prison!

www.witnessagainsttorture.com

#foreverhumanbeings

#41menatGitmo

Witness Against Torture formed in 2005 when 25 Americans went to Guantánamo Bay and attempted to visit the detention facility. They began to organize more broadly to shut down Guantánamo, end indefinite detention and torture and call out Islamophobia. During our demonstrations, we lift up the words of the detainees themselves, bringing them to public spaces they are not permitted to access. Witness Against Torture will carry on in its 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.

 

Join us on social media

  • Witness Against Torture on Facebook
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