It is now over a week since the British government reached a financial settlement with 15 former Guantánamo prisoners -- and also with Shaker Aamer, the last British resident still held in the prison -- and I fear that, given the relentless "churnalism" of the news cycle (to quote the investigative journalist Nick Davies), it may soon be forgotten that he is still held, that a Metropolitan Police investigation into his allegations that he was tortured in US custody in Afghanistan while British agents were present cannot conclude without him, and that without a conclusion to this investigation the judicial inquiry into British complicity in torture abroad, which the government wants to "draw a line under the past," cannot even begin.
As it is inconceivable that it would take the Obama administration more than a few days to sort out the necessary paperwork and locate a plane capable of flying Shaker Aamer back to the UK, I've put together a letter below that readers can cut and paste and send to foreign secretary William Hague, stressing how important it is that Shaker Aamer be returned to the UK, and to his wife and children, as swiftly as possible. Readers can also cut and paste it and send it by email to:
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A letter to William Hague calling for the return of Shaker Aamer
William Hague MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London, SW1A 2AH
Dear Foreign Secretary,
Following the announcement on 16 November that a financial settlement has been reached with 15 former Guantánamo prisoners -- and with Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison -- I am writing to you to seek confirmation that he will be returned to the UK in the imminent future, so that the Metropolitan Police inquiry into his allegations against British agents can be brought to an end, and so that the judicial inquiry into British complicity in torture abroad, which you did so much to encourage, can begin.
As Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen pointed out recently, it was "very welcome" to hear that you had asked Secretary of State Clinton to return Mr. Aamer to the UK, but "in the absence of charges or a proper trial we now need to see Mr. Hague and the US authorities agreeing a specific timetable for Shaker’s release."
I would also like to draw your attention to questions raised by Mr. Aamer‘s UK lawyer Gareth Peirce, who asked, “How is it possible for our government to talk of drawing a line under the past when a British resident who has been hideously tortured over many years is still in unlawful detention in Guantánamo Bay? Are we really as a country prepared to allow his tenth year of captivity to begin in the hands of Britain’s closest ally?”
I also note that Jane Ellison (Battersea, Balham and Wandsworth), the MP for Mr. Aamer’s family, has stated, “A change of government and, in particular, the Prime Minister’s announcement that there was to be an inquiry into the UK’s complicity in torture, has given the campaign for Mr. Aamer’s release new impetus."
She added, “I have raised his case in Parliament on four occasions since the election and discussed it with ministers and Foreign Office officials in detail; the tone of the exchanges has changed a lot in a few months and I feel his case is firmly on the government’s agenda.”
Please confirm that Mr. Aamer's case is not only "firmly on the government's agenda," but also that you understand that without swift action to secure his return -- something that is clearly not out of the question given the close bonds between the US and the UK -- I and others will be obliged to doubt your commitment "to balance the needs of national security with the need for justice and accountability in our democratic society,” which you expressed in February this year.
With Mr. Aamer about to enter his tenth year in US custody without charge or trial, the time for his return is now.
Yours sincerely,
[add name, and address if sending by mail, and you wish to receive a reply]
Note: Readers can also send a letter to their MPs asking them to raise Shaker Aamer's case with William Hague. A draft letter is here. Also see this page for information about future screenings of “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo,” the documentary film co-directed by Polly Nash and myself, which features the story of Shaker Aamer -- on December 10 in Roehampton, on December 11 in Battersea, and on December 15 in Sheffield -- and if you’re in London, or able to pay a visit, please also note that the screening on Saturday December 11, at the Battersea Arts Centre, is part of an event entitled, “A Day for Shaker Aamer,” organized by the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign (with support from Cageprisoners and other organizations) in his home borough of Wandsworth. The day begins at 12 noon, with a demonstration at Ponton Road, Nine Elms, London SW8, the site of the new US embassy. At 12.30 those gathered will march to Battersea Arts Centre for a public meeting, beginning at 2 pm, with speakers including Ken Livingstone, Moazzam Begg, Victoria Brittain, Jeremy Corbyn, Lindsey German, Kate Hudson, Gareth Peirce and Yvonne Ridley, and the film will be shown at 4.30 pm, followed by a Q&A with myself and Omar Deghayes.
Andy Worthington is a Senior Researcher for Cageprisoners. He is also the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America's Illegal Prison, and the co-director (with Polly Nash) of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo.” Visit his website here.
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