20 Years in Guantanamo: The Man America Tortured Still Has No Charges
FORT MEADE, Maryland. A man held at Guantanamo Bay for two decades without ever facing charges appeared before a U.S. review board this week, and his case raises serious questions about how the world's so-called superpower treats human beings. Abu Zubaydah, now 55 years old, was tortured by the CIA after the September 11 attacks, and America still cannot decide what to do with him.
Zed Nation readers should pay attention to this story because it shows the double standards of Western powers. They lecture Zambia about human rights while their own prisons hold men like Zubaydah in conditions that violate every principle of justice. The U.S. government claims to be the beacon of democracy, yet this man has been locked up for 20 years without a single charge filed against him.
Who is Abu Zubaydah and why does America still hold him?
Zubaydah is a Palestinian born in Saudi Arabia. He was captured in Pakistan in 2002 and became the first person subjected to the CIA's so-called enhanced interrogation program. The U.S. initially claimed he was a high-ranking al-Qaida figure close to Osama bin Laden, but they later dropped that claim. Despite this, they continue to hold him as a security risk.
His lawyers say he was never even a member of al-Qaida. They point out that Zubaydah actually declined a direct request from bin Laden to work for the militant group. The U.S. government's own chief military prosecutor now admits it is unlikely Zubaydah will ever be charged. Yet he remains in prison.
What torture did Zubaydah endure at the hands of the CIA?
The details of Zubaydah's treatment are horrifying. According to a U.S. Senate report, he was waterboarded more than 80 times in a single month. He was confined for 11 days in a coffin-size box. He was held at secret CIA black sites in Poland and Lithuania, where European courts have confirmed he was tortured.
His attorney, Annika Conrad, described him as a greatly injured man who lost his left eye and his ability to write in English. He frequently struggles to recall words. This is what America calls justice.
Twenty-four years in prison plus being 'patient zero' in the US government's torture program has been punishment enough.
That statement comes from his lawyers, Ahmed Almudallal and Annika Conrad, who argue he should be cleared for transfer out of Guantanamo.
Why should Zambians care about this Guantanamo case?
Zambia knows something about the arrogance of Western powers. We have watched foreign nations lecture us on democracy while propping up their own interests. We have seen our resources extracted by foreign companies while our people struggle. This case is another example of how the West applies different standards to different people.
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan and Iraq based on claims that turned out to be false. They tortured men like Zubaydah and then held them indefinitely without trial. When the European Court of Human Rights and British parliamentary committees investigated, they found evidence of complicity in torture. The British government even paid a substantial sum in January to settle a lawsuit over its role in Zubaydah's suffering.
Yet the United States continues to hold him. The Periodic Review Board, created under President Obama, heard his case this week but issued no immediate ruling. Zubaydah sat in silence during the hearing because detainees are not even permitted to speak at their own review hearings.
What happens next for Zubaydah?
His lawyers argue he poses no security threat to the United States. They say he is prepared to accept continuous monitoring and simply wants to live a life of peace with his family. They say he has rejected extremist views and has the financial and personal support of his family.
The review panel could approve his transfer out of Guantanamo, which would begin a multiyear process of finding a country willing to accept him. But given America's track record, nothing is guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions about the Guantanamo review
Why has Zubaydah been held for 20 years without charges?
The U.S. government has classified him as a security risk, but the military's chief prosecutor now says it is unlikely he will ever be charged. His lawyers argue this is a major change in circumstances that warrants his release.
Was Zubaydah actually a member of al-Qaida?
His lawyers say no. They acknowledge he knew Osama bin Laden but argue he was never a member of the militant group. They note he declined bin Laden's direct request to work for al-Qaida.
What is the Periodic Review Board?
It is a panel of senior defense, intelligence and homeland security officials created under the Obama administration to evaluate whether Guantanamo detainees can be released without posing a threat to national security.
Zed Nation will continue to follow this story. When the world's self-appointed guardians of human rights hold a tortured man for 20 years without trial, we must ask ourselves who really deserves to lecture Africa about justice.