Gitmo Clock 2023 Photos (2)

Photos of supporters, including former prisoners, marking 7,671 days of Guantánamo's existence, on Jan. 11, 2023, the 21st anniversary of its opening.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and former prisoner Mansoor Adayfi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. Since we marked 7,800 days of Guantánamo’s existence on May 20, 2023, no one has been freed from the prison, even though 16 of the 30 men still held have been unanimously approved for release by high-level U.S. government review boards, and have been waiting for between 339 and 1,004 days to be freed — and in three cases for 4,966 days. It is, of course, absolutely inexcusable that these delays continue.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and our co-founder Andy Worthington calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. As Andy says, "In the last 100 days the Biden administration has faced unprecedented condemnation regarding the continued existence of Guantánamo, and its ongoing and severe human rights violations, exposed in a startling report by Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, who made the first ever visit to the prison by a U.N. Rapporteur in February, and found that, in certain crucial respects, conditions at the prison amount to 'ongoing cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment,' and 'may also meet the legal threshold for torture.' That report followed a devastating opinion issued by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, condemning the arbitrary detention of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was held and tortured in CIA 'black sites' for nearly four years until his transfer, in September 2006, to Guantánamo, where he has been caught up in military commission pre-trial hearings for nearly 12 years. And just last week, the judge in al-Nashiri’s case issued a damning ruling about efforts by prosecutors to use self-incriminating statements made by al-Nashiri, four months after his arrival at Guantánamo, to a so-called 'clean team' of interrogators. The judge, Col. Lanny Acosta, Jr., ruled that, although the 'clean team' interrogation was conducted non-coercively, the taint of al-Nashiri’s torture, and the conditioning that accompanied it, in which he was trained to tell interrogators what they wanted to hear, to prevent further torture, was too strong and too debilitating for his subsequent statements to be regarded as voluntary. Despite this unprecedented condemnation of almost every aspect of Guantánamo’s operations, the Biden administration’s response has involved almost total silence, a truly shameful situation that we hope to highlight today."

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Yusuf Mingazov, the son of former Guantánamo prisoner Ravil Mingazov, a Russian Tatar, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. Yusuf, who was granted asylum in the U.K. with his mother, and has recently graduated from university, is the face of a recently-launched campaign to try and persuade the British government to allow Ravil to be reunited with his family in the U.K., to bring to an end the disgraceful situation he has been in for the last six years, when, after being released from Guantánamo to the UAE, he has found himself imprisoned, in even worse conditions than at Guantánamo, despite having been promised that he would be given help to rebuild his life. The campaign, which also needs the support of the U.S. State Department, has a real sense of urgency to it, because the Emirati authorities have recently threatened to send Ravil back to Russia, where his life would be at risk. See the video of Yusuf speaking to former Guantánamo prisoner Moazzam Begg about his father’s case here.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Yasmin Noble, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. Yasmin, with her brother Cameron, helped to organise a U.K. visit by former Guantánamo prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi in April, which our co-founder Andy Worthington wrote about here.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Cameron Noble, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. Cameron, with his sister Yasmin, helped to organise a U.K. visit by former Guantánamo prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi in April, which our co-founder Andy Worthington wrote about here.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and, in the U.S., peace activist Brian Terrell calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Susan McLucas in Somerville, MA says, "I can't believe that some people's lives have been taken up in indefinite detention at the hands of the U.S., just because our government wanted to make us feel safe after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Most of the men there had nothing to do with those attacks and our government's story of what happened that day does not make sense. We have to shut down Guantánamo before more years are stolen from innocent people. Even if some of them are guilty, it does not justify what our government has done to them. Shut down Guantánamo!"

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Steve Lane in Bethesda, Maryland, Close Guantánamo's Washington, D.C. coordinator, says, "President Biden, our concentration camp at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days too many. It violates our national values, particularly our Pledge of Allegiance, where we promise Liberty and Justice for All. It is horribly expensive, costing us $13,000,000 per prisoner per year. Perhaps worst of all, it is a recruiting tool for terrorists, who can say that Guantánamo Bay is a means for locking up Muslims without trial or even charge. Please close it now!"

William Hudon, professor of history (emeritus) at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania calls on President Biden to end the ongoing torture of indefinite incarceration without due process at Guantánamo. He further asks the president to listen to his constituents in the organization September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows who support plea agreements NOW. Those agreements must come with stipulations of facts from defendants about what was done, when, and with what support from Saudi individuals, government agencies, and other organizations. The justice and accountability so long delayed can be achieved only with knowledge of the truth.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Khandan Lolaki-Noble, a member of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and, in the U.K., Scott Noble calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and, in Mexico City, Close Guantánamo supporter Natalia Rivera Scott calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Lise Rossi of Amnesty International and the U.K. Guantánamo Network calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Nan Noble, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Jim Noble, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Dot Young, in London, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Tyler Worthington, in London, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Ed Charles, the editor of the World Can’t Wait’s Spanish website, in Oakland, California calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Dorrine Marshall, in Irvine, California calls on President Biden to close it without further delay, and says, "It's amazing how ignorant most Americans are. When we wear our 'Close Guantánamo' t-shirts, most people say that it's closed."

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Albert Valencia, in Irvine, California calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, Pamela Kelly calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,900 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on August 28, 2023, David Simmons calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, August 28, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,900 days, and Robert Kolkebeck, in Park Forest, Illinois says, "We must reject these systems and leadership that do little to nothing about environmental collapse while threatening to slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians with nuclear bombs and all types of WMD. This is our 'civilization.'"

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and former prisoner, torture survivor and best-selling author Mohamedou Ould Slahi (center), his former guard Steve Wood, on the left, and Close Guantánamo co-founder Andy Worthington, on the right, call on President Biden to close it without further delay.The photo was taken at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield during a U.K. visit last month by Mohamedou (from the Netherlands) and Steve (from Oregon), during which they attended the first meeting of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Closure of the Guantánamo Detention Facility, and took part (with Andy) in Q&A sessions following screenings of "The Mauritanian," the feature film based on Mohamedou’s book "Guantánamo Diary," including a screening at the NFTS.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and former prisoner Mansoor Adayfi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Scott Noble and Khandan Lolaki-Noble call on President Biden to close it without further delay. Khandan organized the U.K. visit last month by Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Steve Wood, and, with her husband Scott, hosted everyone during the visit. This photo was taken at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Cameron Noble and Yasmin Noble call on President Biden to close it without further delay. Cameron, 15, and Yasmin, 18, introduced, and helped to organize two screenings in Buckinghamshire of "The Mauritanian" during the U.K. visit last month by Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Steve Wood.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and long-standing Close Guantánamo supporter Natalia Rivera Scott, in Mexico City, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Ashley Blasczyk, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Brian Albright, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,800 days of Guantánamo's existence, on May 20, 2023, Susan Hall in Colorado calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Marking 7,800 days of Guantánamo's existence, on May 20, 2023, Tom Hall in Colorado calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and William Hudon, professor of history (emeritus) at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, agrees with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that the detention of the Palestinian inmate Abu Zubaydah and others may constitute "crimes against humanity," and urges President Biden to close down the prison at Guantánamo immediately.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Jan Strain, a long-standing Close Guantánamo supporter in Denver, Colorado, says, "There was a time we 'blamed the Republicans' but, as we see clearly, it is both parties in the U.S. and the lack of will of the people. I still write emails to the White House and try to talk to people about it but we have 'moved on' from the outrage, it seems."

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Ed Charles, the editor of the World Can’t Wait’s Spanish website, in Oakland, California, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Susan Edwards, legal academic and barrister, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.The photo (along with the four below) was taken at the U.K. Guantánamo Network’s most recent monthly vigil for the closure of Guantánamo, outside the U.S. Embassy in Nine Elms, London, on May 5, 2023, part of a number of coordinated global vigils set up by our co-founder Andy Worthington. The U.K. Guantánamo Network consists of members of various Amnesty groups, as well as other groups including Close Guantánamo.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Paul, a campaigner for Julian Assange and for the closure of Guantánamo, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Mark, a member of Amnesty International, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Andreas, a member of Amnesty International, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Pat Sheerin, a long-standing opponent of Guantánamo’s existence, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Bernie Sullivan, in Dorset, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. Bernie and his wife Susie campaigned for the release of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, beginning in 2015, and organized Mohamedou’s first UK speaking tour last year. Bernie also got other family members to join the ongoing photo campaign, as seen below.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Susie Sullivan, in Dorset, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Christopher Sullivan, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Anthony Sullivan, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Koby Sullivan, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Jessica Sullivan, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and long-standing Close Guantánamo supporter Dorrine Marshall, in Irvine, California, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Albert Valencia, in Irvine, California, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, May 20, 2023, the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,800 days, and Robert Kolkebeck, in Park Forest, Illinois says, "The prison at Guantánamo Bay has made it all too easy to imagine the suffering inflicted throughout time in dungeons and wars. President Biden, close Guantánamo."

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and, in Serbia, former prisoner Mansoor Adayfi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and, in London, our co-founder Andy Worthington says to President Biden, "Last week, Majid Khan, whose terrorism-related sentence ended on March 1 last year, was resettled in Belize. This was wonderful news, but the unpalatable truth is that 20 other men (out of the 34 men still held), who have never even been charged with a crime, are still held even though they have been approved for release by high-level government review processes. Unfortunately for these men, however, those review processes are purely administrative, meaning that they have no legal weight, and that, unlike Majid Khan, they cannot appeal to a U.S. court if the government drags its heels in repatriating them, or finding third countries prepared to offer them a new home."

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Ashley Blasczyk, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Brian Albright, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Julie Alley, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Natalia Rivera Scott, in Mexico City, calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and William Hudon, professor emeritus of history at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, calls on President Biden to "SHUT DOWN GUANTÁNAMO. End the prolonged U.S. torture. End the hypocritical flaunting of the 'rule of law.'"

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and longtime Close Guantánamo supporter Steve Lane in Bethesda, Maryland calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Ed Charles, the editor of the World Can’t Wait’s Spanish website, in Oakland, California calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Jon Krampner in Los Angeles, of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP), calls on President Biden to close it without further delay. ICUJP hold annual rallies in Los Angeles, calling for the closure of Guantánamo on the anniversary of its opening (Jan. 11).

Charlotte Casey in San Jose, California calls for the closure of Guantánamo. Charlotte also sent the eight photos below, taken on January 27, 2023 in front of the Lockheed Martin plant in Sunnyvale, California, of members of the Pacific Life Community, who have been holding a monthly vigil at this location for decades, with a large banner that says “Lockheed Weapons Terrorize the World.”

Today, February 9, 2023, the shameful and disgraceful prison at Guantánamo Bay has been open for 7,700 days, and Robert Kolkebeck in Park Forest, Illinois says, "President Biden, look at what U.S. leadership has done. Close Guantánamo, then go to a beach to celebrate by popping a big balloon over the water and gathering up all the pieces."

Dominique O’Neil of the Amnesty UK Kent Network marks the 21st anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on January 11, 2023 — a total of 7,671 days — at a march and rally for the closure of Guantánamo on January 14, organized by the UK Guantánamo Network, which includes several Amnesty International groups, Close Guantánamo and the Guantánamo Justice Campaign. The 22 photos that follow were also taken on the march from the House of Parliament through Parliament Square and up Whitehall, and at the rally in Trafalgar Square, where there were several speakers. All the London photos were taken by Andy Worthington.

Hugh Sandeman, Amnesty International UK Board member.

Lise Rossi, Amnesty UK’s country coordinator for North America.

Alexis Hatto, Amnesty International's Activism Representative for London.

Paul, a Julian Assange supporter, and a regular attendee at the UK Guantánamo Network’s monthly vigils for the closure of Guantánamo outside Parliament.

Ciaron O’Reilly, longtime peace activist and Julian Assange supporter.

Grace from Lewes Amnesty Group.

Anne McFarlane from Reading Amnesty Group.

Samuel Wells from Milton Keynes.

Vanessa Sanderson from Milton Keynes.

Anne Fitchett and Rachel Errington from Blackheath and Greenwich Amnesty Group, also holding photos of two of the men still held at Guantánamo.

Melissa Schweizer, Harry McWhirter and Laura Bourjac from Brighton, also holding photos of two of the men still held at Guantánamo.

Deepa Govindarajan Driver, trade unionist and academic, who spoke at the rally.

David Burke from Lewes Amnesty Group.

David Edwards from Ealing Amnesty Group, also holding a photo of one of the men still held at Guantánamo.

Amanda Kent from Ealing Amnesty Group.

Andrew Rose from Brighton Amnesty Group.

Susan Edwards of the University of Buckingham, also holding a photo of one of the men still held at Guantánamo.

Janet from Hillingdon Amnesty Group.

Khandan, Yasmin and Cameron from Buckinghamshire.

Aisha Birch, who spoke at the rally, and is the daughter of Sara Birch, the Convenor of the UK Guantánamo Network.

Imam Suliman Gani, longtime Close Guantánamo supporter, who spoke at the rally.

Riccardo Susigan from Italy (with Deepa Govindarajan Driver).