View Full Version : 2000 Days Of Gitmo:Exhibition Launch - 'Guantanamo Portraits of Injustice’ (04/07/07)
2000 Days of Guantanamo - Launch of Exhibition - ‘Guantanamo: Portraits of Injustice’
Date: Wednesday 4th July 2007
Times: 6.30pm viewing of exhibition / 7.00pm - 9.30pm public meeting
Venue: House of Commons (committee room 10) - St Stevens Gate, London SW1A OAA (nearest tube: Westminister)
Speakers:
Moazzam Begg (Cage Prisoners); ex-Guantanamo detainee
Gareth Peirce (Birnberg Peirce); lawyer for Guantanamo detainees
Zachary Katznelson (Reprieve); legal counsel for Guantanamo detainees
Sarah Teather MP (All Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo)
Desmond Fernandes (CAMPACC)
Victoria Brittain (Author and playright)
2000 days of illegal imprisonment; 2000 days of captivity; 2000 days of torture; 2000 days of brutality; 2000 days of injustice. 4th July 2007 marks 2000 days of Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
On the 4th July, America will be celebrating it’s Declaration of Independence’ which recites ‘that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’. The irony is stark. On this day we remind the world of the continued denial of the most basic human rights by the USA at Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Opened on 11th January 2002, over 800 people have been held captive in Guantanamo, of whom 380 remain. Over 400 captives have been released without ever having been charged or facing a trial. Innocent men and children have been snatched, rendered, held, often in solitary confinement, tortured, humiliated, brutalised and then released without even an apology.
Hundreds of men continue to be held in captivity in inhumane and torturous conditions without the fundamental human right of knowing why they are being held and right to a fair trial. No one from Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility has been charged in connection with 11th September Attacks, yet the USA and British governments would have us believe otherwise.
This is the first exhibition on Guantanamo in this country. It will provide a visual backdrop to a significant meeting supported by a number of individuals and organisations calling on the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown to; defend international human rights; to demand the immediate release and safe return of all the British residents to this country and to end all forms of detention without trial.
Open to the public. All welcome!
For further information contact the National Coalition of Guantanamo Campaigns on 07721427690 or visit; www.guantanamo.co.uk
:up:
u always beat me 2it sis ..lol
:up:
u always beat me 2it sis ..lol
How? :scratch: This was out on Amnesty etc ages ago but I was pacing myself with the threads! :o
NATIONAL GUANTANAMO COALITION
PRESS RELEASE
RE: 2000 Days of Guantanamo
Launch of Exhibition ‘ Guantanamo : Portraits of Injustice’ followed by public meeting on Wednesday 4 July 2007, 6.30 pm, Committee Room 10, House of Commons
Letter to new Prime Minister Gordon Brown
On 4th July, as Americans celebrate their Independence Day, the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay reaches its 2000th day of operation. The Guantanamo Bay prisoners are denied those cherished rights: the ‘inalienable rights’ to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’, the rights to a speedy trial, humane treatment and due process contained in the US Bill of Rights.
Launch of Exhibition: ‘ Guantanamo : Portraits of Injustice’ and Meeting calling on the new Prime Minister to take action to close Guantanamo and bring back the British Residents.
This day will be marked with the launch of an exhibition called ‘ Guantanamo : Portraits of Injustice’. The launch will take place at the House of Commons with support from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo . Also an open letter has been written to the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, urging him to endeavour to bring them back home (see attachment). Musurut Dar, creator of the exhibition, commented on the inspiration behind the event,
“The idea of this exhibition came to me after I met Moazzam Begg, after his release from Guantanamo . I was touched by his story of injustice and his humanity. I wanted to share the stories of the British detainees, so that others would see the injustice that is - Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. ‘Guantanamo: Portraits of Injustice’ calls on you to look beyond the stereotype and see the sons, brothers, fathers and husbands who have been imprisoned and do not have the right to know why they are being detained or the right to a fair trial. It calls on you to note the fact that to date none of these men, despite years of incarceration and alleged torture, have been convicted of a crime under the due process of law by the USA . We cannot carry on ignoring this injustice “.
Individuals and Organisations sign open letter to new PM Gordon Brown
Signatories to the letter include: former Guantanamo detainees, Manfred Nowak, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Lord Nazir Ahmed, Baron Dholakia, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Baroness Frances D’Souza, Clare Short MP, Caroline Lucas MEP, Sajjad Karim MEP, Clive Stafford Smith and Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International.
Moazzam Begg, former Guantanamo detainee said,
“It is important that the unlawful detentions in Guantanamo Bay are continually highlighted. This exhibition is the first of its kind and will serve to show the human aspect behind this tragedy. Guantanamo must be closed and our hope is for the new PM to take notice and bring our British residents home.”
2000 days of illegal imprisonment; 2000 days of captivity; 2000 days of torture; 2000 days of brutality; 2000 days of injustice. 4th July 2007 marks 2000 days of Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Notes for Editors
1. The launch of the exhibition and public meeting will take place on:
Wednesday 4th July 2007 at the House of Commons, St Stevens Gate, Committee Room 10, London SW1A OAA
6.30pm; viewing of exhibition and press interviews with speakers
7.00pm - 9.30pm; public meeting, press welcome
Confirmed speakers include:
Moazzam Begg (Cageprisoners); ex-Guantanamo detainee
Gareth Peirce (Birnberg Peirce); lawyer for Guantanamo detainees
Amnesty international
Aliya Frostrick, Medical Foundation for the care and victims of Torture
Reprieve; legal counsel for Guantanamo Detainees
Sarah Teather MP (All Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo )
Desmond Fernandes (CAMPACC)
Victoria Brittain (Author and playright)
2. The letter will be delivered to the PM Gordon Brown on the 4th July and is embargoed for the press until 4th July 2007 00:00hrs.
3. For further information about the meeting and interviews with speakers, please call; Jackie Chase from the National Guantanamo Coalition on 07796478421.
4. For further information about the Exhibition please contact; Musurut Dar on 07932140599 or email; mus7@lycos.co.uk. Jpegs images of the exhibition are available for single use in support of articles relating to the launch of the exhibition and 4th July event from www.i4images.com/guant. Approval must be sought for all other usage of the portraits from Musurut Dar. All images are copyright to Ian Reynolds.
Alhamdulillah this sounds sooooo good- and I never even realised it's already nearly 2000 days.
I hate saying this but I wanna gooooooooo....*Sniff Sniff*
I wonder what Mr Brown's views towards Guantanamo is...*Scratch*
Alhamdulillah this sounds sooooo good- and I never even realised it's already nearly 2000 days.
I hate saying this but I wanna gooooooooo....*Sniff Sniff*
I wonder what Mr Brown's views towards Guantanamo is...*Scratch*
As bad as it sounds, we can't feel it coz we are not directly effected by it! The state of the ummah is so :(
You say that about everything! :there: Where do you live?
:freedom: Today! :freedom:
Who's coming? Don't all rush at once! :D Who?
As bad as it sounds, we can't feel it coz we are not directly effected by it! The state of the ummah is so :(
You say that about everything! :there: Where do you live?
Close to manchester :(...worse thing is I missed the Hhugs event a couple of weeks ago- all ready when dad sez I need to stay at home n babaysit coz they gotta go somewhere- I was really annoyed...
Close to manchester :(...worse thing is I missed the Hhugs event a couple of weeks ago- all ready when dad sez I need to stay at home n babaysit coz they gotta go somewhere- I was really annoyed...
Ahh, :there: Alhumdulillah, you helped your father for which you will Insha'allah be rewarded for! Insha'allah, more will happen in/near Manchester! :up:
I just came back from it and Subhanallah, as ever made you realise just how little you do! :o
I am so :zzz: tired so I will Insha'allah, post up about it tomorrow in more detail! :up:
One man’s day of celebration of the declaration of his freedom is yet another day under the yoke to another man who pays the price of that freedom: as the United States celebrated Independence Day on 4 July, on a not-so distant shore, a far more sinister and painfully ironic anniversary was being commemorated: 2000 days since Guantánamo Bay opened up in its current incarnation as an American military “camp” for extrajudicial detention and torture.
While largely forgotten by the media and the wider public globally over the past 2000 days, campaigners for the closure of Guantánamo Bay and other secret prisons under the war on terror globally in the UK were determined not to let this date pass by unacknowledged. The National Coalition of Guantánamo Campaigns, compromised of campaigning groups from Birmingham, Brighton and London in particular, as well as several NGOs, such as Cageprisoners, organised the first art exhibition in the UK about Guantánamo, which was launched in the House of Commons, followed by a public meeting.
The exhibition Guantánamo: Portraits of Injustice was created by Musurut Dar and features artwork by Ian Reynolds using orange and black photographic images of the British nationals, who have all been returned to the UK from Guantánamo, and the British residents, many of whom are still held there. Accompanying the stunning visual work which brings to the fore the humanity of some of the men affected by this ongoing tragedy are short biographies of their lives and poignant quotes by legal experts and international figures about Guantánamo’s existence.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the exhibition, Musurut Dar said, “The idea of this exhibition came to me after I met Moazzam Begg, after his release from Guantánamo. I was touched by his story of injustice and his humanity. I wanted to share the stories of the British detainees, so that others would see the injustice that is the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility. Guantánamo: Portraits of Injustice calls on you to look beyond the stereotype and see the sons, brothers, fathers and husbands who have been imprisoned and do not have the right to know why they are being detained or the right to a fair trial. It calls on you to note the fact that to date none of these men, despite years of incarceration and alleged torture, have been convicted of a crime under the due process of law by the USA. We cannot carry on ignoring this injustice. Nor can we ignore the fact that injustice breeds resentment.”
After a successful launch in the House of Commons, the exhibition has moved to Brighton before travelling to Birmingham and then the Welsh Assembly. The National Coalition is currently looking for other venues and events at which the exhibition can be displayed in the UK. If you know of any forthcoming events or of venues where the exhibition can be held, please contact Musurut Dar by email: mus7@lycos.co.uk
The public meeting and art exhibition held in the House of Commons was attended by over 150 concerned individuals and campaigners from all over the United Kingdom. Given the venue of the public meeting, perhaps the most conspicuous absence was that of actual members of parliament, adding to the deafening silence which is the prevailing political response in the UK to the case of the British residents still held in Guantánamo Bay and the detention facility there in general.
The meeting started at around 7pm and was chaired by Jackie Chase from the Save Omar Campaign in Brighton. Jackie kicked off with ideas of what the public can do to help the British residents in Guantánamo Bay and raise the profile of Guantánamo Bay and awareness of the issue in the UK. Ways of doing this include:
Ø writing to the detainees which helps to boost their morale;
Ø writing to the new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith asking her to allow the British residents to return to the UK and uphold the refugee status of detainees like Omar Deghayes and Jamil El-Banna who held such a status in the UK previously and cannot return to their countries of origin;
Ø writing to the new Foreign Secretary David Miliband asking him to appeal to the US government to take action to close Guantánamo Bay down;
Ø writing to the British Embassy in Washington to take action over the British residents;
Ø talking to your local doctor or GP and getting them to take action as a medical professional over the abuse and torture meted out at Guantánamo and the fact that independent medical professionals are not allowed to visit the detainees;
Ø talking to your local religious, community and political leaders to speak out against the continuing existence of Guantánamo and other secret American prisons worldwide in the war on terror
Jackie also provided other information about ongoing campaigns such a petition calling for Guantánamo to be closed down to be delivered to Downing Street by Welsh church leaders on 18 July. She also mentioned a forthcoming demonstration that will be held outside the House of Lords where the final appeal in the judicial review in the case of Omar Deghayes and Jamil El-Banna will be heard. The case was brought in November 2005 by lawyers on behalf of their families to force the government to make representations on their behalf with the American government. This will take place in the autumn.
The first speaker was the prominent human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce, who represents several of the British residents and has represented some of the British nationals too. Ms Peirce said that now was an appropriate time to meet to discuss this issue as Britain has a new government which is claiming that it will bring about changes; if the government is serious about human rights and making changes, then its stance on Guantánamo and towards the British residents will pose the ultimate challenge to its commitment to the rule of law and international conventions the UK has signed up to. On American Independence Day, she said that there is an opportunity for the public to tell the new government to make a tangible change and declare its independence from the US. It is the ongoing disregard for the law and lawlessness that fuels the flames of conflict. By allowing Guantánamo to remain open and not acting to help the British residents, the British government is endorsing what Guantánamo stands for. Gareth Peirce concluded by stating that now is the time for Guantánamo to close.
Clive Stafford-Smith, legal director of Reprieve, the legal charity which represents all the British residents and represented the British nationals, focused on the hunger strike which has been ongoing since December 2006. He mentioned the case of Al Jazeera cameraman Sami Al-Hajj who has been on hunger strike for 140 days and British resident Shaker Aamer who has been hunger-striking for over 200 days; the hunger strikers are kept alive by force feeding through a feeding tube painfully inserted through the nose. The tubes which cause bleeding and excruciating pain when inserted and removed are used daily as a form of torture and to deter the hunger strikers, who are merely demanding acknowledgement of their human rights. He also stated that Guantánamo is a diversion, presenting the ugly public face of extrajudicial detention under the war on terror; whereas of the estimated fourteen thousand “ghost prisoners” held in illegal American jails worldwide, over 94.3% of the total, have no access at all to lawyers or their families.
Sarah Teather MP, head of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Guantánamo, and the only MP present, then spoke about the desperate plight of one of the British residents, her constituent Jamil El-Banna, who will be returned to his country of origin, Jordan, if the British government does not act rapidly. She also spoke of the indifference of the political establishment. If action is not taken immediately, it will be too late for all the British residents.
Aliya Frostick from the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture spoke about the increasing prevalence of the use of torture. She drew parallels between the Guantánamo prisoners and those who have been held in Abu Ghraib in Iraq, as concerns the use of sensory deprivation as a means of torture. Several British nationals who have returned from Guantánamo whom the Medical Foundation has worked with have showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. She also reported that a group of independent British doctors had tried to visit the detainees in Guantánamo but were prevented from doing so.
Journalist Victoria Brittain, who is also a close friend of the families of several of the British residents, spoke about the media response to the issue. She noticed that this was yet another meeting in the House of Commons about Guantánamo at which no MPs were present. She reported that the families of the British residents were disappointed by the response to their plight – not just because of the ineffectiveness of politicians and the judiciary – but also the indifferent response of ordinary people. The media has merely produced a handful of stories about the families of the detainees and the horrors meted out there daily but have not brought into the common conscience the moral issue that Guantánamo should be. Ms Brittain also expressed that there is reason to be optimistic about the new British government and the changing political climate in the US. However, she questioned whether it was the passivity of the public to the issue that has allowed the government to not take action.
Desmond Fernandes from CAMPACC (Campaign Against Criminalising Communities) spoke about international complicity in perpetuating the abuse and inhumane treatment and conditions at Guantánamo, Abu Ghraib and other torture centres under the War on Terror. An example of this was the international indifference shown to the refusal to allow the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture access to the Guantánamo detainees, even though UN Special rapporteurs are supposed to be given unfettered access to victims. He also spoke of the US’s unrestricted and unquestioned ability to flout international law as well as about the prisoners held in Iraq and Afghanistan for similar purposes who are seldom mentioned.
Moazzam Begg, a British national who spent more than two years at Guantánamo Bay and is currently campaigning with Cageprisoners for the release of the other detainees and Guantánamo’s closure was the final speaker. Mr Begg raised many important points concerning the injustice that Guantánamo Bay is. He started off with the fact that all too often those who are denied their freedom unjustly are those who are not in a position to defend themselves, as is the case of those who are currently in Guantánamo, who have no country to return to and are effectively stateless. He also spoke about the other illegal jails, in Afghanistan and Pakistan in particular, that all the Guantánamo detainees have passed through before being taken to Guantánamo, where the torture and abuse they face is far worse than what they face in Guantánamo.
On the 2000th day of Guantánamo being open as a detention facility in the war on terror, Mr Begg raised the highly pertinent point that Guantánamo was opened in response to the 9/11 attacks, yet after five and a half years, no charge or conviction related to the attacks have been imputed to any of the detainees. He described Guantánamo as being a symptom of the illegal wars that affect hundreds of thousands of people worldwide tearing communities apart. People need to understand that the detainees are ordinary human beings who have lived ordinary lives. The treatment of the detainees unsurprisingly gives rise to anti-Western sentiment as most of the detainees are from Asia and Africa. However, to the former detainees, the anti-American actions of insurgents in Iraq and elsewhere pale in comparison to what they have they seen and experienced themselves at the hands of the Americans.
There was clearly plenty of food for thought and reflection in all that was said at the meeting and the prevailing mood, after 2000 days of torture, detention without trial and inhumane treatment at Guantánamo Bay, was one of the urgency of the situation facing Guantánamo detainees and the NEED to act now to have them released and Guantánamo and other illegal prisons shut down.
- Compiled by the London Guantánamo Campaign
Source (http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=21102)
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