Guantanamo Detainees Share Torture Scars and Dreams of Freedom with Independent Visitor

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A group of elderly men, known only by their serial numbers, arrived at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay in shackles. They spoke with an independent visitor, the first person not affiliated with their captors that they had encountered in two decades. While they expressed disappointment at the visitor’s delayed arrival, they opened up about their limited contact with family, deteriorating health, the physical and psychological scars resulting from torture and abuse, and their hopes of being released and reuniting with their loved ones.

In a groundbreaking development, a United Nations independent investigator named Fionnuala Ní Aoláin was granted permission by the U.S. president to visit the Guantanamo facility for the first time since its establishment in 2002. Previous administrations, including those of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, had denied similar requests from the United Nations.

Ní Aoláin commended President Joe Biden’s administration for allowing critical voices into the facility and expressed her hope that other governments that have previously barred U.N. special investigators would follow suit. As a law professor at the University of Minnesota and Queens University in Belfast, Ní Aoláin has visited numerous high-security prisons during her tenure as a U.N. human rights investigator. She stated that the detainees at Guantanamo, who were brought there in extraordinary circumstances following the 9/11 attacks, represented a unique population unlike any other on Earth.

In her report released on June 26, Ní Aoláin highlighted the cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions endured by the Guantanamo detainees. She emphasized that the majority of these men were imprisoned without cause and had no connection to the terrorist attacks. According to Ní Aoláin, all surviving detainees suffer from physical and psychological trauma.

While the Biden administration, which aims to close the Guantanamo facility, expressed disagreement with certain aspects of Ní Aoláin’s report, it stated that her recommendations would be carefully reviewed. Ní Aoláin, in her interview, revealed personal observations during her visit to the facility. She criticized the practice of referring to detainees by their internment serial numbers instead of their names, describing it as dehumanizing. She also expressed concern about three detainees living in legal limbo, having not been charged with any crimes. Additionally, she highlighted the ongoing use of force feeding in response to hunger strikes, which further demonstrated the despair and hopelessness experienced by individuals held without trial for two decades.

Ní Aoláin stressed the urgent need for torture rehabilitation for all detainees, praising the U.S. as a leader in this field. She welcomed President Biden’s recent statement reaffirming the opposition to inhumane treatment and commitment to supporting torture survivors. Ní Aoláin emphasized that rehabilitation was crucial not only for the detainees but also for the democratic values of the United States.

The independent investigator recognized the importance of communal meals and prayer among the detainees, as they fostered support, fraternity, and care within the community. She acknowledged that the detainees had limited privileges such as access to television, books, language classes, and opportunities to learn about computers and art.

Ní Aoláin’s report made several recommendations, including torture rehabilitation, additional education and training, particularly for those cleared for release. She highlighted the challenges faced by these individuals who, after spending years in detention, must reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives, often burdened with anxiety about providing for their families and adjusting to fatherhood.

The report shed light on the experiences of Guantanamo detainees, their enduring scars, and their aspirations for a future beyond confinement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Guantanamo detainees, torture, release, inhumane conditions, freedom

More about Guantanamo detainees, torture, release, inhumane conditions, freedom

• United Nations Human Rights Office
• Guantanamo Bay detention camp
• United Nations Special Procedures
• Joe Biden’s statement on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
• Fionnuala Ní Aoláin’s profile
• Guantanamo Bay: U.S. opposition to all forms of inhumane treatment
• Torture Rehabilitation
• International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
• United Nations Human Rights Council
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights