Friday, February 02, 2018

Guantánamo Bay: Shaker Aamer – BBC News | Full Interview


Shaker Aamer was the last British resident of Guantánamo Bay. Speaking to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, he describes what it was like to be held without trial for nearly 14 years. Aamer was held over extremely serious claims - that he had led a Taliban unit and met Osama Bin Laden. The US military classified him as a threat, but he was never charged. His lawyers say the case against him came from unreliable allegations extracted during torture, and that his treatment at the US military base in Cuba raises serious questions about the legality and morality of the so-called war on terror. A spokesperson said the UK government "stands firmly against torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment" The US Department of Defense said in a statement it "does not tolerate the abuse of detainees. All credible allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary action is taken when those allegations are substantiated."