Fri Jan 10 22:49:10 UTC 2025: **Guantanamo Bay’s 23rd Anniversary: Advocates Urge Biden to Empty the Prison Before Leaving Office**
WASHINGTON, DC – As the Guantanamo Bay detention facility marks its 23rd anniversary, advocates are intensifying their calls for President Biden to release the remaining 15 prisoners before his term ends on January 20th. The prison, once holding nearly 800 detainees, has become a symbol of alleged human rights abuses and prolonged detention without trial.
Former inmate Mansoor Adayfi, now a coordinator for the Guantanamo Project at CAGE International, demands justice for both current and former detainees, including a formal apology, reparations, and accountability for alleged wrongdoing. He highlights the years of “injustice, lawlessness, abuse of power, torture and indefinite detention” experienced by many prisoners.
While the Biden administration has recently accelerated the transfer of detainees—releasing 11 Yemeni prisoners to Oman this week and others to Tunisia and Kenya last month—Amnesty International and other groups believe the facility’s closure is within reach. They advocate for transferring the remaining detainees to other countries or, if legal hurdles can be overcome, to the US for trial.
A major obstacle remains a 2015 Congressional ban on transferring Gitmo prisoners to US soil. However, advocates believe the small number of remaining detainees could incentivize Congress to reconsider this ban.
The urgency is heightened by President-elect Donald Trump’s previously stated intention to keep the prison open. The Friends Committee on National Legislation underscores the need for swift action before the change in administration.
Adding to the complexity, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has blocked plea deals reached between military prosecutors and three 9/11 suspects, throwing the future of those cases into legal limbo. Critics, including Amnesty International, view this action as politically motivated interference that undermines the goal of closing the facility.
Despite the progress made in reducing the detainee population, the ongoing legal battles and political roadblocks highlight the challenges in fully closing Guantanamo Bay and addressing the legacy of alleged human rights violations. Advocates argue that the US cannot simultaneously uphold its ideals of freedom and human rights while maintaining the prison.
First Piper 