Another broken promise to close Guantanamo prison

I was held He spent 14 years in Guantanamo Bay without being charged with a crime. I was sent there when I was 19 years old. I did not know why I was detained, what I had done to be imprisoned, or when I would be released.

Like many other men at Guantanamo, I believed that the US forces holding me would live up to their principles of law and justice and give me the right to defend myself and prove my innocence. This never happened.

Instead, she was subjected to constant torture and harassment. I fought to be treated humanely and have basic human rights, and after 14 years I was released. Throughout my imprisonment, I imagined that one day the world would know what happened to us and demand accountability and justice. I thought that once people knew, they would shut down this sorry place.

It has been almost nine years since my release. All this time, I haven’t stopped writing and giving interviews about what happened to me. The world knows that Guantanamo Bay is still operating.

Earlier this month, we celebrated the 23rd anniversary of Create it. Today we celebrate the last day in office of another American president who promised to close it but did not. One has to wonder then All reports By the United Nations and various human rights organizations, media reports, documentaries, books, etc. – why does this symbol of injustice still exist?

Guantanamo was established in the wake of the events of September 11, a tragic event that deeply shook the world. In its wake, the United States launched the so-called “Global War on Terrorism,” a campaign that was ostensibly aimed at combating terrorism but in reality legitimized torture, undermined international law, and dehumanized an entire religious community.

Located on the island of Cuba, outside the legal jurisdiction of the United States, the Guantanamo detention center was deliberately designed to circumvent constitutional protections and international norms, becoming a place where detainees could be held indefinitely without charge or trial.

The concept of indefinite detention constitutes a direct affront to the principles of justice. Detaining individuals without charge or trial challenges the foundations of legal systems around the world. It deprives detainees of the opportunity to defend themselves and exposes them to years – sometimes decades – of suffering with no solution in sight.

Guantanamo has become a model for other forms of extrajudicial detention, torture, and human rights violations around the world. The prison’s legacy is evident in the proliferation of CIA black sites, the normalization of Islamophobia, and the erosion of international standards designed to protect human dignity.

The global war on terrorism – and Guantanamo as its most famous symbol – institutionalized policies that dehumanized Muslims. It has fueled anti-Islamic rhetoric, justified invasive surveillance programs, and stigmatized entire communities as potential threats.

The United States took the lead in all of this, and many countries followed suit, using the United States’ “war on terror” rhetoric to justify attacks on entire communities. The consequences have been devastating for Muslim and other vulnerable communities.

At its peak, Guantanamo held about 680 men and boys, many of whom were sold as “terrorists” to US forces in exchange for wages. This is what happened to me.

To date, 15 men remain in Guantanamo. Some of them have been cleared for release, but they continue to languish in limbo, evidence of the failure of American systems to uphold even the most basic human rights. For these men, every day is a continuation of psychological and physical torment – ​​a state of not being officially free or accused.

We have heard many promises that Guantanamo Bay will remain closed for the past sixteen years. It is known that US President Barack Obama signed an executive order on his second day in office in 2009 ordering the closure of the facility. Vice President at the time Joe Biden He was standing next to him, clapping. When Biden became president in 2021, he also made and broke the same promise.

The prison is still operating at an annual cost of about $540 million.

The continued operation of Guantanamo is not only a failure of policy, but a moral stain on the United States. It represents a stark contrast to the ideals of freedom, justice, and human rights that the United States claims to defend. Its presence undermines US credibility on the global stage and encourages authoritarian regimes to justify their abuses.

With every anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo, I wait for the international community to wake up and demand action to close this military prison, provide justice for its victims, and ensure that those responsible for creating and perpetuating it are held accountable. Every year I feel disappointed.

The Guantanamo military prison is more than just a crime against its detainees and their families. For more than two decades, he has been a symbol of systematic torture, arbitrary detention, and the weakening of the global human rights system. Guantanamo violates the Geneva Conventions and embodies elements of crimes against humanity through its systematic mistreatment of primarily Muslim detainees.

As the new administration takes office in Washington, I bring them the same message I sent to their predecessors:

Close Guantanamo. Close the facility and end the practice of indefinite detention.

Secure justice. They released those approved for transfer and gave the rest fair trials.

Ensure accountability. Investigate those responsible for allowing torture, extrajudicial detention, and other violations and hold those responsible accountable.

He confessed and He apologizes. Issuing an official acknowledgment and apology for the injustices committed.

Providing compensation. Compensating former detainees for the harm they suffered.

Closing Guantanamo doesn’t just mean closing a physical site; It’s about closing a dark chapter of history. Rather, it is about reaffirming the principles of justice, dignity and human rights that should be upheld for all people, regardless of their origins or beliefs. Guantánamo must never see another anniversary.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.