Two Mothers, One Standard of Mercy: The Letter That Asks Trump to Free the Last Afghan at Guantanamo

Muhammad Rahim has been held at Guantanamo Bay for over seventeen years without charge or trial. He is the last Afghan detainee remaining at the prison. He has never been tried, and no date for his release has been set.

When American prisoner Dennis Coyle was released in Afghanistan, it followed a letter from his mother to Afghan leadership. That appeal was heard, and his mother got her son back.

Rahim's mother is elderly and barely able to speak. Two of her sons were killed by the Soviets, and a third was killed by Americans. Her surviving son has spent nearly two decades in a cage on the other side of the world, and she has one wish left: to see him before she dies.

Her letter to President Trump follows below. The question it puts to him is simple: one mother wrote, and a government responded with mercy. Will you?

To the Honorable President of the United States of America,

I write to you as the mother of Mohammad Rahim, the only remaining Afghan detainee who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility for many years. With utmost respect, I wish to formally appeal to your office to consider his case with compassion, humanitarian concern, and a commitment to fundamental principles of justice.

In light of recent humanitarian actions undertaken in comparable circumstances—such as the release and repatriation of detainee Dennis Coyle to his family,

I respectfully express my hope that similar consideration may be extended in my son’s case.

Such actions reflect not only legal discretion but also a broader commitment to human dignity and humanitarian values.

Mohammad Rahim is now of advanced age, and his prolonged detention has significantly affected both his physical health and psychological well-being. Continued confinement under such conditions raises serious humanitarian concerns. At a minimum, universally recognized human rights principles and norms call for a careful reassessment of his situation, with due consideration given to his age, health, and length of detention.

His release would not only address these humanitarian concerns but would also bring profound relief to a family that has endured many years of hardship and emotional suffering in his absence.

For me personally, as I approach the later stages of my life, the opportunity to see my son again remains my most earnest and final hope.

Moreover, his daughter has been deprived for years of the care, affection, and guidance of her father. This absence has had lasting emotional consequences, which are further compounded by the continued uncertainty surrounding his situation.

In view of these considerations, I respectfully urge your administration to take a thoughtful and humane step toward resolving his case, consistent with the values of justice, mercy, and respect for human dignity.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Safora Yousufzai

Mother of Mohammad Rahim

Kabul, Afghanistan 23.03.2026