Guantanamo Day – eleventh January: At the moment is the twenty third anniversary of the establishing by U.S. President George W. Bush of the unlawful jail camp at Guantanamo Bay contained in the US Naval base on Cuba.
Bush had issued a navy order in November 2001 “for the indefinite detention of overseas nationals with out cost and stopping them from legally difficult their detention” and to their disgrace the US Division of Justice claimed that the precept of ‘habeas corpus‘ didn’t apply to the camp because it was not on US territory.
At first a short lived camp known as ‘Camp X-Ray’ was arrange at Guantanamo and the primary twenty detainees arrived there on 11 January 2002. Later they have been moved to a extra everlasting Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
The US administration argued that the positioning was not US territory because it was solely held below a lease from Cuba final up to date in 1934 “below which Cuba retains final sovereignty however the U.S. workouts sole jurisdiction.” Cuba for the reason that 1959 revolution has argued that the US presence there may be unlawful and has known as repeatedly for them to go away and return the territory to Cuba.
The USA additionally argued that the Geneva Conventions didn’t apply to ‘illegal enemy combatants’, and went forward holding prisoners there in merciless, inhumane and degrading circumstances and torturing them. The Wikipedia article offers some particulars of the condemnations by the Pink Cross and human rights organisations in addition to the testimonies of launched prisoners.
There was little if any proof towards nice majority of the at the very least 780 males who have been held in Guantanamo and most have been lastly launched with out cost, though as we speak 15 detainees stay at Guantanamo Bay. 9 died whereas being held there. Solely 16 detainees have ever been charged by the U.S. with prison offences. Most have been simply foreigners who have been in Afghanistan for varied causes and have been captured and bought to the US forces by bounty hunters.
The final detainee with a British connection to be launched was Shaker Aamer, born in Saudi Arabia however with British Resident standing and a spouse and household in Battersea, London who had gone to Afghanistan as a charity employee. He was captured by bandits and bought to the US in December 2001 and transferred to Guantanamo on 14 February 2002 after having been interrogated and tortured within the jail on the US Bagram air base. He was finally launched in October 2015 having been held for over 13 years.
Some giant protests towards Guantanamo occurred in London through the years, in addition to smaller common vigils on the US Embassy and in entrance of Parliament. I photographed many of those through the years, placing accounts and photos on My London Diary in addition to sending them to companies. The images right here come from my put up a couple of small protest by energetic campaigners towards the camp on the US Embassy on Monday eleventh January 2010, Guantanamo Bay – 8 Shameful Years.
Flickr – Fb – My London Diary – Hull Images – Lea Valley – Paris
London’s Industrial Heritage – London Images
All images on this web page are copyright © Peter Marshall.
Contact me to purchase prints or licence to breed.
Tags: 11 January 2002, 2010, bounty hunters, Camp X-Ray, Cuba, overseas nationals, Geneva Conventions, George W Bush, Grosvenor Sq., Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, habeas corpus, unlawful detention, worldwide legislation, London, peter Marshall, protest, launched with out cost, Shaker Aamer, torture, illegal enemy combatants, US Embassy
You possibly can go away a response, or trackback from your individual website.
