(London) Their release was part of a prisoner exchange between the US and the Taliban that saw a US soldier captured by the Taliban in 2009 return home.
Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Ruhal Ahmed, one of the Britons held at Guantanamo Bay and subsequently released without charge or apology, also spoke to CAGE[1] saying: “If the US are able to release five leaders of a group they are currently facing at war in Afghanistan, questions have to be asked about why it is that Britain, its closest ally, cannot successfully negotiate the release of the last British resident in Guantanamo, Shaker Aamer.”
Asim Qureshi, Research Director of CAGE, said: “The release of these prisoners shows that dialogue and understanding based on justice and respect for the rights of victims and survivors is the only solution to a War on Terror that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and decimated whole nations.”
Qureshi continued: “Though the Qataris were thought to have helped broker the deal between the Americans and the Taliban, this exchange is a clear indication that the Americans are willing to talk to the Taliban, a group they often refer to as 'terrorists', and that successful outcomes are possible through such negotiations.”
[ENDS]
Notes:
1. CAGE (formerly known as CagePrisoners) is an independent advocacy organisations that works to empower communities affected by the War on Terror and to highlight abuses of due process.
PRESS ENQUIRIES:
Contact: Mr Amandla Thomas-Johnson
Phone: +(44) 207 377 6700
Email: \press@cageuk.org
Web: cage.ngo
CAGE
27 Old Gloucester Street
London
WC1N 3XX
<div>(London) Their release was part of a prisoner exchange between the US and the Taliban that saw a US soldier captured by the Taliban in 2009 return home.</div><div> </div><div>Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Ruhal Ahmed, one of the Britons held at Guantanamo Bay and subsequently released without charge or apology, also spoke to CAGE[1] saying: “If the US are able to release five leaders of a group they are currently facing at war in Afghanistan, questions have to be asked about why it is that Britain, its closest ally, cannot successfully negotiate the release of the last British resident in Guantanamo, Shaker Aamer.”</div><div> </div><div>Asim Qureshi, Research Director of CAGE, said: “The release of these prisoners shows that dialogue and understanding based on justice and respect for the rights of victims and survivors is the only solution to a War on Terror that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and decimated whole nations.”</div><div> </div><div>Qureshi continued: “Though the Qataris were thought to have helped broker the deal between the Americans and the Taliban, this exchange is a clear indication that the Americans are willing to talk to the Taliban, a group they often refer to as 'terrorists', and that successful outcomes are possible through such negotiations.”</div><div> </div><div>[ENDS]</div><div> </div><div>Notes:</div><div> </div><div>1. CAGE (formerly known as CagePrisoners) is an independent advocacy organisations that works to empower communities affected by the War on Terror and to highlight abuses of due process. </div><div> </div><div>PRESS ENQUIRIES:</div><div> </div><div>Contact: Mr Amandla Thomas-Johnson</div><div>Phone: +(44) 207 377 6700</div><div>Email: <a href="http://press@cageuk.org">press@cageuk.org</a></div><div>Web: <a href="/">cage.ngo</a></div><div> </div><div>CAGE</div><div>27 Old Gloucester Street</div><div>London </div><div>WC1N 3XX</div><div> </div><div><p style="margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em; padding: 0px 0px 10px; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333015441895px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </p></div>
