Guantanamo: Survivors speak
Event Details
As we mark 23 years since the establishment of Guantanamo Bay, this event stands as a powerful call to action against systemic injustice, unaccountable power, and the enduring use of torture and indefinite detention.
Attendees will hear directly from the men who were once detained in Guantanamo Bay, sharing their personal testimonies of resilience and their calls for accountability exposing the U.S. government’s use of torture and its global legacy of authoritarian tactics, demands the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay, and calls out its role as a symbol of oppressive hegemonic and carceral systems.
The event will spotlight the cases of the remaining men that are still awaiting release including the case of Abu Zubaydah, the forgotten prisoner from Gaza in Guantanamo. Subjected to extreme torture, including waterboarding and isolation. Abu Zubaydah epitomises the brutality and lawlessness of U.S. practices. Despite never being charged with a crime, he remains indefinitely detained, his plight exposing the moral failures of Guantanamo and the complicity of global powers in sustaining these injustices.
This event underscores the urgency of dismantling such systems of oppression and amplifying the voices of those who have endured them.
Speakers
Sufyan Barhoumi
Former political prisoner held in Guantanamo.
Sufyian Barhoumi is trying to rebuild his life after enduring years of wrongful detention at Guantanamo Bay. Known for his unyielding perseverance, his story highlights the human cost of indefinite detention and commands accountability for systemic abuses. Sufyian’s journey is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of hope in the face of adversity.
Moazzam Begg
Senior Director
A British-born Muslim, Moazzam Begg is a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner and outreach director for CAGE.
After his release, he became one of the most prominent public-speakers and Muslim advocates for justice and dialogue.
He is the author of the best-seller Enemy Combatant in which he recounts his experience as an innocent man detained and torture at Guantanamo, Bagram and Kandahar.
The Muslim 500 listed him as one of the 500 “most influential Muslims” in the world.
The New Statesman listed him in the top 50 “Heroes of our time”.
He has travelled extensively to investigate state abuses and western complicity in torture including to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria.
A direct eye-witness to the conflicts in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Syria, his life has been recorded by the Columbia University Oral History project, and the BBC Storyville documentary, The Confession.
Mansoor Adayfi
Guantanamo Coordinator
Mansoor grew up in a rural village in Yemen. At the age of 19, he was taken to Guantanamo in a case of mistaken identity. He remained imprisoned there for 15 years. In 2016, Mansoor was released, but his plight did not end. He was transferred to Serbia, a country he had no connection with. Despite his daily struggles in Belgrade, Mansoor writes, creates artwork, and advocates for prisoners rights. He has recently published his memoir “Don’t forget us here” (Hachette). His work has been featured by the New York Times, BBC radio, CBC radio, WNYC, and the John Jay College of Justice.
Omar Khadr
Former Guantanamo Prisoner
Omar Khadr has transformed a childhood marked by profound injustice into a platform for inspiring change. Detained in Guantanamo Bay at just 15 years old—the youngest prisoner held there—he endured years of incarceration, emerging with a commitment to justice and reconciliation.
Abdel Latif Nasser
Former Guantanamo Prisoner
After being released from Guantanamo Bay following years of wrongful detention without charge, Abdel Latif Nasser shares his story to shed light on the injustices of indefinite detention and to call for the closure of Guantanamo. Abdel Latif's experiences inspire action and awareness, challenging global audiences to confront systems of oppression and advocate for human dignity.
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