Free Guantanamo's most disabled prisoner Nashwan al-Tamir
Stop Guantanamo's oldest prisoner from being tortured in Iraq
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IMPACT
Over 1000 wrote in to the US judge presiding over Nishwan al-Tamir’s case, demanding al-Tamir not be deported to Iraq where he would likely face death. Thanks to this intervention, al-Tamir’s deportation was halted.
BACKGROUND
Nashwan al-Tamir is the oldest and most disabled prisoner currently held at Guantanamo Bay. He is a dual Afghan and Iraqi citizen born in Iraq but was forced to flee after refusing to join the Ba'ath party. He then moved to Afghanistan where he supported Afghans against the Soviet Union, there he married an Afghan woman with whom he had 4 children and became an Afghan citizen. After the US invaded Afghanistan, Nashwan witnessed the horrors of carpet-bombings and decided to join the resistance, leading his men in several operations to protect his adopted homeland.
In 2006 he sought medical treatment in Turkey, there he was arrested and handed over to the CIA who held him in secret detention at a CIA black site, before being transferred to Guantanamo in 2007.
Nashwan has since faced years of physical and psychological torture and abuse at the hands of the CIA which has worsened his medical conditions, including severe degenerative spinal disease which he has not received adequate treatment for, that has left him severely disabled.
You can read more about Nashwan's story here.
After pleading guilty before a Guantanamo military commission, there was a plea agreement that was reached which ensured Nashwan would be transferred to a third country within a year. The US have failed in their obligations to Nashwan, not only in his treatment but also in his relocation. They are now seeking to send him back to Iraq where he faces torture, arbitrary detention and abuse. Iraq has a well-documented history of torture, forced confessions, and executions following unfair trials. On Friday 10 January Nashwan's lawyers are attempting to block this transfer.
Take action today for Nashwan, and let the Judge know about the harms he will face if sent to an Iraqi prison.
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Dear Judge Emmet G Sullivan,
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen to express deep concern over the planned transfer of Nashwan al-Tamir (Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi) from Guantanamo Bay to Iraq. Mr al-Tamir has endured years of torture at the hands of the CIA both in Guantanamo, and at CIA blacksites, this suffering he has endured must end now.
Iraq has a well-documented record of torture, abuse, and lack of adequate medical care, and approving this transfer would place him at grave risk.
Mr al-Tamir, is elderly and severely disabled with a degenerative spinal disc disease, a condition worsened by the abuse and lack of medical care he has endured at Guantanamo. It was agreed that he would be relocated to a third country that could provide appropriate medical treatment and ensure his safety. Transferring him to Iraq violates this commitment, as well as the well established principle of “non-refoulement”, if this decision is upheld it will expose him to further suffering. I urge you to protect Mr al-Tamir’s rights, block this transfer and ensure that he is sent to a safe country where he can receive the medical care he desperately needs and be reunited with his wife and four children.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
