The oldest inmate at the US-run Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been released to his home country of Pakistan after nearly 20 years of detention without trial. Saifullah Paracha was arrested in 2003 in Thailand and accused of financing the armed group. He has always maintained his innocence.

Like most prisoners at Guantanamo, Paracha, now in his mid-70s, was never formally charged and had little legal power to challenge his detention. Of the 780 inmates held during the US’s so-called ‘war on terror’, 732 were released without charge. Many of them were imprisoned for more than a decade.

35 men still remain in detention in Guantanamo today.  This is why a vigil is being organised by the UK Guantanamo Network this Wednesday 2nd November outside the US Embassy. As many campaigners as possible are needed to make sure the call for Guantanamo to be closed is made as strongly as possible. 

From 1pm to 3pm, there will be a two-hour static protest opposite the US Embassy, 33 Nine Elms Lane, Nine Elms, London SW11 7US, United Kingdom, holding photos of those still detained along with placards. The campaign is aiming to get as much media coverage as possible for this vigil which is due to take place just before the US mid-term elections.  

President Joe Biden has said he wants Guantanamo closed, as have a number of former and serving generals. No law is keeping it open, just a lack of political nerve.  What’s needed is pressure from citizens who know that the rights of any prisoner will eventually affect their own.

The UK Guantanamo Network are an alliance of UK activists and organisations dedicated to closing the prison and securing fair trials or safe release for the men held there. Our network includes the Guantanamo Justice Campaign, London Guantanamo Campaign, the Close Guantanamo Campaign, Freedom from Torture and Amnesty International.

Its activities have included:

• Campaigning successfully for the release and return to the UK of Omar Deghayes, Binyam Mohamed and Shaker Aamer
• Organising films and panel discussions, including former detainees, film directors and MPs. at the All Saints Centre and more recently at The Depot where we organised a showing of The Mauritanian followed by a Q and A session.
• An academic conference on Guantanamo with the University of Brighton, featuring activists and academics from around the world.
• Supporting vigils and protests organised by the Guantanamo Justice Campaign in London, and other towns.
• Working to launch an all-party parliamentary committee to examine Britain’s role in Guantanamo – past and future.

Image: https://ukguantanamonetwork.org/