UK Indymedia | Report/Pics-Guantánamo Anniversary Vigil Outside US Embassy

Report/Pics-Guantánamo Anniversary Vigil Outside US Embassy

The London Guantánamo Campaign held the first anniversary of its weekly vigil outside the American Embassy in Mayfair, London at 6-8pm on Friday 8 February 2008. We are there usually every Friday from 6-7pm calling on the US to Shut Guantánamo Down!

Just to make it quite clear...

Jackie Chase from Save Omar speaking

candles for the remaining detainees - 277 to date

Andy Worthington - author of "The Guantánamo Files"

Dr Shahrar Ali - Green Party candidate for London Mayoral Elections

calling for justice

The London Guantánamo Campaign held the first anniversary of its weekly vigil outside the American Embassy in Mayfair, London at 6-8pm on Friday 8 February 2008. The vigil started on Friday 9 February 2007 and has served as a peaceful, weekly reminder (except on 11 January – GTMO sixth anniversary) to the US government that not everybody is turning a blind eye to their abuse of human rights and the rule of law under the “war on terror” and calling on the US government to close down Guantánamo Bay and other illegal CIA-run jails around the world.

We were joined by the Save Omar Campaign from Brighton who performed their street theatre piece “Air Guantánamo”, poems and passages written by Guantánamo detainees were read and a few speeches were given. Around 50 people braved the cold and attended. The vigil was well attended by young people, which is always encouraging. Two letter-writing actions were also launched for the two remaining British residents in Guantánamo Bay – Binyam Mohamed, a 29 year old Londoner and Ahmed Belbacha from Bournemouth. The letters can be copied and pasted to the FCO, Home Office and the Prime Minister from www.guantanamo.org.uk

Thank you to everyone who has joined us over the past year. The news from Guantánamo is always grim. In recent weeks, disclosures have been made of the first known contraction of HIV (which has now developed into AIDS) by a detainee in Guantánamo Bay due to medical abuse and complicity in torture

http://cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=23201 The US military has refused to hand his medical file over to his lawyer but at the same time denies that any detainees have contracted HIV through medical abuse. The American military has also revealed that beyond the horrors of what we already know happens at Guantánamo, there is a further Camp 7 whose whereabouts is kept secret and where detainees such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are kept.

The LGC will be outside the US Embassy this Friday at 6-7pm as per usual. We are usually found behind the “building works” right opposite the entrance to the Embassy in Grosvenor Square, near Oxford Street (nearest tube: Bond Street/ Marble Arch). Come and join us and call on the American government to stop torture, “disappearances” and arbitrary detention in the “war on terror”. No to torture! No to detention without trial!

Additions

Video of "Air Guantanamo"...

11.02.2008 07:12

Air Guantanamo - video/quicktime 19M

... street theatre piece as performed by the Save Omar Campaign outside the US Embassy, London, on 8 February

London Guantánamo Campaign
mail e-mail: london_gitmo@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.guantanamo.org.uk

London Actions this week - no extradition to Spain (press releases)

11.02.2008 08:10

TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY: 12-2PM: DEMO OUTSIDE SPANISH EMBASSY

07 February 2008

PRESS RELEASE

- FARID HILALI’S LOSES APPEAL AGAINST EXTRADITION!!!!
- SPAIN SEEKS EXTRADITION FOR EX-GUANTANAMO DETAINEE’S!!!!!

Farid Hilali a 39 year old Moroccan last week lost his 4 year battle appealing against an extradition request by the Spanish Authorities. His lawyers have stated that they will be taking the matters to the EU.

Mr. Hilali has been living in the UK on and off for approximately 15 years, and was originally known to the British Security Services whilst detained in the United Arab Emirates in 1999 when he was asked to become a spy. He states it is this very refusal that saw him sent back to his native Morocco where he faced torture and abuse, as did his family members. Farid returned to the UK during 2000, and was arrested in 2003 under the Terrorism Act – it was at this point that he made a claim for Asylum.

He has never been charged with any offence under the Terrorism act.

In April of 2004 he was issued with a Arrest Warrant issued by the Spanish Authorities for his alleged involvement in the September 11th 2001 bombings of the World Trade Centres. To date Spain has arrested many people in connection with the 9/11 attacks, however to date no one has been convicted for these allegations.

Mr. Hilali has now for almost a decade suffered abuse of his human rights, by the international governments of Britain, Morocco, UAE and now Spain. Countries from 4 different continents for almost a decade have continued to harass a man who to date has not been charged or convicted of any crime! For which the only reason can be is to have him returned to Morocco where like many others he will be away from the public arena and like many others become a Ghost Detainee, to be tortured and possibly even worse at the oppressive Moroccan regime.

Spain seeks Extradition of Ex-Guantanamo detainees

Following 5 years of illegal imprisonment and torture, Omar Deghayes and Jamil Al-Bana’s returned to the UK from Guantanamo Bay only to be faced with an extradtion appeal from Spain, who claim the two are members of an Al-Qaeda cell there.

It has come to light that the Spanish Authorites were also involved during their incarceration whilst at Guantanamo Bay, assisting the US in the transportation of the two men to Guantanamo Bay, and are also accused of being involved in interrogations that took place there.

Spanish Record of Abuse

Spain has a well known record for abuse and torture within its prisons with special isolation units with the prisons known as F.I.E.S units which are experiments of various degrees of psychological torture, dehumanization and constant physical torture, beatings and insults. The last statistics show that since 1991 at least 20 people have been killed in these isolation units. There are records of Spanish Prisoners spending 13 years of a 25 year sentence in isolation – as well as inmates being threatened of being infected with HIV and threats that their partners would be arrested and raped.

This is the tip of the iceberg and whilst the UK are well aware of Spains track record for abuse and torture in its Prisons it is hard to conceive that such appeals are being entertained.

These men like many others are prisoners of faith, who are innocent victims of global farce which has come to be known as the war on terror.

We therefore urge you to come and show your support for these victims on the War on Terror, JOIN THE LONDON GUANTANAMO CAMPAIGN & THE MUSLIM PRISONER SUPPORT GROUP OUTSIDE THE SPANISH EMBASSY 39 Chesham Place, SW1 at noon on Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Organised by the Muslim Prisoner Support Group, the London Guantánamo Campaign and the Save Omar Campaign.

Enquiries to Khadijah Aadam from The Muslim Prisoner Support Group: 07960 076 099

khadijahaadam@btinternet.com

www.muslimprisonersupport.com

----------------------------------
THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY: 10AM: DEMO OUTSIDE HORSEFERRY ROAD MAGISTRATES COURT

Hearts and Flowers to ward off the Spanish Inquisition: Omar Deghayes and Jamil El-Banna, both released with no charges from Guantanamo Bay in Dec 2007 will appear in Westminster Magistrates Court, Horseferry Road, London on Thursday Feb 14th at 10am.The hearing is procedural in connection with the request from Spain for their extradition to face charges there.Members of the Save-Omar Campaign, a community campaign based in Brighton for their fellow resident Omar Deghayes, will be travelling to London where they will be joined by supporters from the National Guantanamo Campaign in a demonstration of Hearts and Flowers outside the court from 9.30am and again after the hearing.Campaign member Jackie Chase said "Omar and Jamil have been wrongfully detained, obscenely tortured and treated despicably for over five years by the United States at Guantanamo and other secret prisons. The Spanish authorities provided to the US the photograph which led to Omar's wrongful detention and was proven to be of a different man. It is time to leave these men alone and let them return to some semblance of a normal life. Omar has many medical issues, including an eye blinded by the guards at Guantanamo, which are at last receiving attention. It would be inhumane to continue to harrang these men any more. The US military should apologize for its mistakes and return its dealings with suspected criminals to an honourable and transparent system of due process so rebuilding trust and respect." For further information contact www.save-omar.org.uk or Jackie Chase on 07799564620

London Guantánamo Campaign

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Reprieve press release -death penalty being sought against alleged 9/11 plotters

11.02.2008 18:09

Embargo: immediate release Monday 11th February 2008

Reprieve Denounces Decision by United States to Seek Death Penalty Against Alleged September 11 Plotters

Monday 11th February: Legal action charity Reprieve, which provides frontline investigation and legal representation to prisoners denied justice from death row to Guantánamo Bay, has condemned the decision by the United States to seek the death penalty against six prisoners for their alleged role in September 11. The United States Military is reportedly about to charge six Guantánamo Bay prisoners before military commissions and seek their execution.

Commenting today Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve said:

“Going for the death penalty against these men is absolutely the wrong decision. September 11 was one of the worst single crimes in history. But think about what is going on in terrorists’ heads: they want to be martyrs. If we execute them, we fulfill their greatest wish. They become heroes to their fanatical followers. That makes us all less safe.

“Military commissions in Guantánamo Bay are not about justice – they are about politics. The proceedings these men would face are deeply flawed. Someone could be put to death based on secret or third or fourth-hand evidence. That is not the American way.”

The United States Supreme Court will decide before the end of June what rights prisoners in Guantánamo Bay have, including whether or not the United States Constitution applies to them. If it does, these commissions will likely be struck down as illegal.

Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve added:

“What will the US achieve by hauling these men before a kangaroo court and executing them? Anyone can see the hypocrisy of espousing human rights, then trampling on them. We will infuriate our allies who firmly oppose the death penalty. We will anger the world. The most effective counter terrorism strategy is the enforcement of human rights.”

Ends

Notes to editor:

The six prisoners reportedly set to be charged are: Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, Mohammed al-Qahtani, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali (known as Ammar al-Baluchi), Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, and Walid bin Attash.

For interviews or further information please contact the Reprieve Press Office on: 020 7131 3609 / 07766 017 985.

UK Charity Reprieve provides frontline investigation and legal representation to prisoners denied justice by powerful governments across the world, from death row to Guantánamo Bay.

We prioritise the cases of prisoners held governments that should be upholding the highest human rights standards enshrined in international law.

We help prisoners facing the death penalty, particularly in America or when British nationals are involved. And we help prisoners denied justice in the name of the “war on terror”, such as those held without charge or trial in Guantánamo Bay and the countless secret prisons beyond. None of these prisoners can afford to pay for representation.

LGC

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