Prisoners protest at Guantánamo

With signs written in English, the prisoners held in Guantanamo’s Camp 6 have begun a peaceful protest against their indefinite detention.

In a peaceful demonstration that began after the ninth anniversary of the opening of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prisoners held signs that read:

“Close this camp of discrimination and racism.”

“We are human beings, exactly like you. We have wives, children, fathers and mothers. Let us go to them.”

“You cannot detain us because of what other people are doing outside. Release us.”

“Give us our rights inside the camp. If you don’t want to give us our rights, get us out of here.”

“Until when are we going to stay here?”

Having entered their tenth year of incarceration with no end in sight, the men are protesting against overcrowding, mistreatment by guards, lack of proper recreation facilities, and the indefinite nature of their detention.

Despite assurances recently made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the Obama administration intends to close the notorious prison, in a telephone call with his lawyer from the Center for Constitutional Rights, a Camp 6 prisoner relayed that the men held there had lost all trust in the American government. And it’s not difficult to see why.

Upon entering office in January 2009, President Obama promised to close the facility within a year. That year has come and gone and 173 prisoners remain. Plus, with the recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act – signed into law by President Obama on 7 January 2011 – Congress has placed a number of restrictions on releases that at least will significantly delay any planned transfers from Guantanamo and at most will bring to a standstill all transfers out of the facility.

As greater uncertainty looms, it is now more important than ever to show our support to the men who continue to be held without charge or trial at Guantanamo Bay. Please do your part by writing to one of these men today.

 For information on how to send a letter to one of the men detained in Guantanamo visit www.reprieve.org.uk/writetoguantanamo.