INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SUPPORT FOR TORTURE VICTIMS

Today the UN released their latest report on Guantanamo "Technical Visit to the United States and Guantánamo Detention Facility by the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism." Link to the report is here. The report is comprehensive and addresses some of the issues that have come up with the men that have been transferred out of Guantanamo. It also addresses some of the problems of the men who are still being held.

The US responded briefly to the report. "Brief" being one of the two key words. It is one page. The other key word is "dishonest." I am looking for a link to the response but I will quote:

        "The Biden Administration has made significant progress towards responsibly reducing the detainee population and closing the Guantanamo facility. Ten individuals have been transferred out of Guantanamo since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration - one-quarter of the population we inherited - and we are actively working to find suitable locations for those remaining detainees eligible for transfer."

So where should we start? First, there was nothing responsible about reducing the detainee population by sending my client to Algeria with no firm commitment on the part of the Algerian government that he would be treated fairly and humanely.... that is unless the US thinks it is fair and humane to send him to prison in Algeria after more than 20 years in prison at Guantanamo.

Second, the Biden- Harris administration did not find a suitable location for my client. In fact, they completely dropped the ball, unless of course the administration thinks prison is a suitable location.

On Friday, the state department confirmed for me:

1. That they have no control over what the Algerians are doing to my client and they have no way of enforcing the assurances made by the Algerians that my client would be treated humanely;

2. That they will do nothing to help facilitate my travel to Algeria to confirm my clients treatment;

3. That they hope things will work out but there is nothing they can or will do.

Apparently, significant progress to the State department means offshoring the men to other countries in a constructive custody arrangement. From the prison at Guantanamo to a prison in Algeria and to other unknown prisons to be determined.

FROM ROGER FITCH AND OUR FRIENDS DOWN UNDER AT JUSTINIAN

 

Deep doo-doo

ROGER FITCH ESQ • TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2023

Trump indictment ... Top secret, purloined documents ... Fingered by his own people ... More indicting to be done ... Dangerous crim running for president ... Latest from the Supreme Court ... Clarence Thomas weighs in on one of Harlan Crow's cases ... Roger Fitch reports from Washington 

"How many indictments does it take to bring down a cult leader?" - The Intercept 

There's not much news to report from the US, other than the federal indictment for espionage of a former president, and the apparent indifference with which it was greeted by his mentally or morally-deficient supporters.

As Salon observed apropos the MAGA response to Trump's dinner party with "Hitler fanboys": 

"If anything, Republican voters keep rallying to his side, predictably pleased that Nazi-snuggling has the liberal-triggering effect they crave." 

Still, Espionage Act violations? Shouldn't that disturb them?

Just Security had already provided a model prosecution memorandum analysing six federal crimes that could form the basis for charges against Trump who, in the event, was charged with seven crimes. 

The indictment, which included charges against his former While House valet and loyal acolyte, Walt Nauta, ran to 38 counts.

Even before charges had been filed in a Florida court (and the arraignment randomly assigned to the horrible Trump-judge Aileen Cannon), the Trump-backlash began; as TPM put it: 

"The GOP speaker of the House, GOP senators and representatives, the leading GOP candidates for president, and the whole right-wing Wurlitzer launched a furious attack on the rule of law."

In fact, Trump faces very serious charges under the espionage laws; as George Bush père would say, he's in deep doo-doo, and his prior statements about classified documents don't help him. 

Walt Nauta: collar attendant and valet

READ THE REST HERE.

A Dysfunctional State Department

 When it comes to the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners it is important to have all of the details ironed out in advance. It is especially true when dealing with countries like Algeria. Algeria has long been a tricky country for the men to be sent back to. In recent years it has been even trickier as the Algerian government further cracked down on civil society.

I knew this as my client was moving towards repatriation and I spoke with and emailed the people in the State department responsible for Saeed’s safe repatriation. I was assured on five separate occasions that everything was worked out and Saeed would be treated fairly and humanely. I was especially concerned because Saeed had been subjected to torture by the US and he continues to suffer from that trauma. Saeed preferred to go to his home country if it was safe for him and he knew that I would not let him go back to Algeria if I did not think it was safe. I determined, from the assurances provided by the State department, that it was safe for Saeed to go home.

Then I learned that Saeed was brought before a judge (after his initial interrogations) and that the judge announced that Saeed’s version of events that led him to be captured by the U.S. did not match the version put forward by the U.S.. The Judge announced that Saeed was being stripped of all of his rights and he was sent off to the notorious Boufarik prison to await trial. And there he sits.

I have learned that Saeed has been treated harshly at Boufarik. Somehow Saeed’s heel was broken. The medication sent with Saeed when he boarded the plane in Guantanamo was taken from him. Saeed is awaiting trial on charges that he has pledged loyalty to Osama Bin Laden- a charge never levied at Saeed by the U.S.

I learned of the Court proceeding two days after it happened. I immediately contacted the people in the State department with whom I had worked. Much to my chagrin the State department did not monitor Saeed’s repatriation, and I was the one to let them know what was happening to Saeed.

Officials in the State department expressed alarm and concern and promised to look into it. I too was alarmed and concerned- but my alarm and concern was a little different. I was (and continue to be)alarmed and concerned that the State department failed to do any monitoring of Saeed once he stepped off the plane in Algiers.

All of the assurances that were supposedly reached between the State department and the Government of Algeria have disappeared. There is nothing safe or humane about Saeed's treatment at the hands of the Algerian government. Now the State department shrugs its collective shoulders and says, “there is nothing we can do.”

Bullshit.

Stay tuned. I plan on proving them wrong.

Searching for Saeed....

 I am still not ready to write up my own account of this travesty involving by client Saeed Bakhouch but hopefully later this week I will have time to write it up.

Meanwhile read what former detainee Mansoor Adayfi has written about Saeed's plight - amd the similar plight of other former Guantanamo detainees. 

I will have more soon.

AND SPEAKING OF TORTURE AWARENESS...

 I will have a longer piece on this in the next few days. My Algerian client, Mr. Bakhouch, who has long suffered from PTSD and depression from his 20 years of detention without charge, is now sitting in an Algerian prison while the State department shrugs its shoulders and claims to be powerless. 

I am rattling and will continue to rattle as many cages as I can and I will provide updates as I am able. 

Torture Awareness Month

 Today marks the beginning of Torture Awareness Month - a month that calls on people around the world to speak out against the crimes of torture and honor its victims and survivors.  

Please consider donating to the Guantanamo Survivors Fund