THE London Guantanamo Campaign staged a protest yesterday outside the American embassy on the 8th anniversary of the establishment of the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison, demanding it be shut down.
They were also calling for the immediate release of Shaker Aamer, who has family in Britain, and Ahmed Belbacha who is an Algerian asylum seeker from Bournemouth.
There was a rally with speakers opened by Dan Viesnik, one of the organisers of the event.
He said: ‘Over two hundred so called “combatants” are still in Guantanamo.
‘Today events are taking place in Washington, London and other countries marking the rather sombre occasion of the 8th Anniversary since the prison opened.
‘In the case of Ahmed Belbacha, he is still languishing in Guantanamo despite apparently being cleared of charges two years ago.’
One of the main organisers of the protest, Aisha Maniar told News Line: ‘We are happy that president Obama has called for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, but we are disappointed that it is not going to happen by the 22nd of January.
‘However that must not be taken as an excuse to delay further.
‘The Americans must ensure justice for all prisoners held there by means of release or a fair trial.
‘The Americans are not in this alone and other governments including the British government must play their part in its closure, in particular by demanding the return of Shaker Aamer and Ahmed Belbacha.’
A statement put out by the London Guantanamo Campaign calls for ‘an investigation into the UK’s role and complicity in the torture and abuse involved in the CIA’s extraordinary rendition programme.’
