I was held in Guantanamo detention center for 14 years without ever being charged with a crime. I was sent there when I was 19 years old. I didn’t know why I was being held, what I had done to be incarcerated, or when I would be released.
Like many others at Guantánamo, I trusted that the U.S. military that held me would uphold the ideals of law and justice and give me the right to protect myself and prove my innocence. That never happened.
Instead, I was subjected to torture and continuous harassment. I fought for humane treatment and basic human rights and was released after 14 years. While incarcerated, I imagined that one day the world would know what happened to us and demand accountability and justice. I thought once people found out about this, this horrible place would be shut down.
It’s been about nine years since he was released. All this time, I never stopped writing and giving interviews about what happened to me. The world knows, and yet Guantanamo is still functioning.
Earlier this month, we celebrated our 23rd anniversary. Today we mark the last day of yet another U.S. president who promised closure but never delivered. One has to wonder when one looks at reports, media reports, documentaries, and books from the United Nations and various human rights organizations. Why does this symbol of injustice still exist?
Guantanamo was established in the aftermath of 9/11, a tragic event that deeply shook the world. In response, the United States launched the so-called global “war on terror.” Although this campaign was ostensibly aimed at combating terrorism, it actually legalized torture, violated international law, and dehumanized entire faith communities.
Located on the island of Cuba, outside the legal jurisdiction of the United States, the Guantánamo detention center was intentionally designed to circumvent constitutional protections and international norms, providing a place where detainees could be held indefinitely without charge or trial. It became.
The concept of indefinite detention is a direct affront to the principles of justice. Detaining individuals without charge or trial goes against the very foundations of legal systems around the world. The law denies detainees the opportunity to defend themselves, subjecting them to years, even decades, of suffering with no resolution in sight.
Guantanamo became the blueprint for other forms of extrajudicial detention, torture, and human rights violations around the world. The legacy of prisons is evident in the proliferation of CIA black sites, the normalization of Islamophobia, and the erosion of international norms meant to protect human dignity.
The global war on terror, of which Guantanamo is its most notorious symbol, has institutionalized policies that dehumanize Muslims. It fueled Islamophobic rhetoric, justified invasive surveillance programs, and denounced entire communities as potential threats.
In all of this, the United States led the way, and many states followed suit, using the rhetoric of the United States’ “war on terror” to justify attacks on entire communities. The consequences have been devastating for Muslims and other vulnerable communities.
At its peak, Guantanamo held approximately 680 men and boys, many of whom were sold to the US military as “terrorists” in exchange for compensation. This is what happened to me.
As of today, 15 people remain at Guantanamo. Although some have been allowed to be released, they remain in limbo, evidence of the failure of the U.S. system to protect even the most basic human rights. For them, every day is a series of mental and physical torture, without freedom or formal charges.
We have heard many promises over the past 16 years that Guantanamo would be closed. US President Barack Obama famously signed an executive order ordering the closure of the facility on his second day in office in 2009. Then-Vice President Joe Biden was standing right next to him and applauding. When Biden became president in 2021, he made the same promise and broke it again.
The prison continues to function at a cost of approximately $540 million annually.
Continuing the Guantanamo operation is not only a policy failure, but a moral stain on the United States. It is a clear contradiction of the ideals of freedom, justice, and human rights that the United States claims to uphold. Its presence undermines America’s credibility on the world stage and emboldens authoritarian regimes to justify their human rights abuses.
Each time the anniversary of Guantanamo’s opening comes around, I hope the international community wakes up and takes action to close the military prison, provide justice for its victims, and ensure accountability for those responsible for the creation and perpetuation of the prison. Waiting for you to request. I’m disappointed every year.
Guantánamo military prison is more than just a crime against detainees and their families. For more than two decades, it has symbolized systematic torture, arbitrary detention and the weakening of the global human rights system. Guantanamo violates the Geneva Conventions and embodies elements of crimes against humanity through its systematic mistreatment of predominantly Muslim detainees.
As we have a new administration in Washington, I will give them the same message that I gave to my predecessors.
Close Guantanamo. Close facilities and end the practice of indefinite detention.
Ensure justice. Release those who are allowed to be deported and give the rest a fair trial.
We will ensure thorough accountability. Investigate and hold accountable those responsible for authorizing torture, extrajudicial detention, and other ill-treatment.
I admit it and apologize. Officially acknowledge and apologize for the wrongdoing that has been committed.
We will pay compensation. Compensate for damages caused to former detainees.
Closing Guantánamo is about more than just closing down a physical location. It is about ending a dark chapter in history. It is a reaffirmation of the principles of justice, dignity and human rights that should be upheld by all people, regardless of their origins or beliefs. Guantanamo must not celebrate another anniversary.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.