FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

The Last British Guantanamo Detainee Will Now Be Released to the UK

The British resident and Saudi national has been held in Guantanamo since 2002, despite being twice cleared for release and never being formally charged or put on trial.
Photo by Andy Rain/EPA

Guantanamo Bay detainee Shaker Aamer is to be released to the UK, according to government officials.

The British resident and Saudi national was originally detained in Afghanistan in 2001 and has been held in Guantanamo since 2002, despite never being formally charged or put on trial.

US authorities accused the 46-year-old of being a close associate of Osama bin Laden and having links to al Qaeda — charges that Aamer has denied.

Advertisement

Aamer has been cleared for release twice by presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama, the first time in 2007.

His continued detention has been the subject of high-level talks between the UK and the US governments, and many politicians and campaigns have repeatedly called for his release.

Joanne MacInnes, campaign co-ordinator of the "I Stand With Shaker" campaign, told VICE News that she was "shell-shocked" after hearing he was definitely to be released.

"It just shows all this pressure, including the mounting pressure from MPs, has worked," she said.

"It's fantastic news for us," MacInnes continued. "Now my real concern is what's going to happen and how are we going to help him from people who are still under the misguided illusion that he did something wrong."

However, she continued, "How can you compensate someone for the beatings, the torture, the loss of liberty and the loss of 14 years of your life?"

Related: The US Still Hasn't Released Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo, and it's 'Insulting' the UK 

A spokesman for the British government confirmed the imminent release, saying: "We have been notified by the US government that it has decided to return Shaker Aamer to the UK. The government has regularly raised Mr. Aamer's case with the US authorities and we support President Obama's commitment to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

"As the US has said, we have one of the most robust and effective systems in the world to deal with suspected terrorists and those suspected of engaging in terrorist related activity and we will continue to do all we can to protect people in Britain and around the world from the threat of terrorism."

Advertisement

In a statement sent to VICE News, Clive Stafford-Smith, Shaker Aamer's lawyer, said this was "great news, albeit about 13 years too late."

Stafford-Smith also said it needs to be clear that "Shaker is not and never has been a terrorist, and has been cleared by the Americans themselves for eight years. I hope the authorities will understand that he has been tortured and abused for more than a decade, and what he wants most is to be left alone with his family to start rebuilding his life."

Aamer was granted leave to remain in the UK in 1996. His wife is a British citizen, and she and his four children live in Battersea, London. Aamer has still never met his youngest son, Faris, who was born after he was imprisoned.

Thank you everyone for all the support. The news hasnt hit yet. We can't believe we might finally see our Dad after 14 years. — Johina Aamer (@JohinaAamer)September 25, 2015

Writing for VICE last November Aamer noted: "I have been in Guantánamo Bay for 12 years now. George W Bush's administration cleared me to leave in 2007, Barack Obama's in 2009. I am still here."

He is now expected to be repatriated before the end of October.

Follow Sally Hayden on Twitter: @sallyhayd