Guantánamo Bay Injustice

Justice for Wazir Mohammad, Guantánamo detainee

Wazir Mohammad
© Private
Wazir Mohammad, a 30-year-old Afghan taxi driver, has been detained without charge or trial in the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay for more than a year. As with the hundreds of other detainees held there, he has had no access to a lawyer or to a court, nor has he been able to challenge the lawfulness of his detention.

Wazir was arrested in mid-2002 by local men at a checkpoint in Gardez, Afghanistan, when he went to inquire about what had happened to his friend and fellow taxi driver Sayed Abbasin, who had been arrested at the checkpoint earlier. In fact, Sayed Abbasin had been handed to US custody, arbitrarily labelled as a member of al-Qa'ida or the Taleban. He was subsequently transferred to Guantánamo Bay. The same thing happened to Wazir Mohammad. Sayed Abbasin has since been released, having not been charged or provided compensation for his apparently arbitrary arrest. Wazir Mohammad remains in custody.

Wazir Mohammad's wife is said to be suffering serious emotional and psychological distress because of the continuing detention of her husband and the lack of news about his plight. Since Wazir was taken into US custody, she has given birth to their first child. Their son is now one year old, and has never seen his father.

Wazir's brother, Taj, is also suffering emotional distress, believing passionately in his brother's innocence. He suggested to Amnesty International in Kabul in July that the USA's treatment of the Guantánamo prisoners "makes the reputation of the US bad amongst the people of Afghanistan". He added: "My message to Mister Bush is that he should take the cases of these people seriously and obtain the release of those who are really innocent".

Further information: Guantánamo Bay: a coercive regime

Take action!

Write to US President George W. Bush today, asking for justice for Wazir Mohammad and all Guantánamo detainees. You might like to use the letter below as a guide.


Dear Mr President

I am writing to you about the case of Wazir Mohammad, a 30-year-old Afghan taxi driver, who has been held without charge or trial in the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay for more than a year.

Wazir was arrested at a checkpoint in Gardez, Afghanistan, in mid-2002, after he asked about the fate of his friend and fellow taxi driver Sayed Abbasin, who had been arrested at the checkpoint earlier. Sayed Abbasin had in fact been taken into US custody, later to be released. Wazir Mohammad, however, remains in custody, and his family are said to be suffering deep distress while his fate remains unresolved.

As with the hundreds of other detainees held in Guantánamo Bay, Wazir Mohammad has had no access to a lawyer or to a court, nor has he been able to challenge the lawfulness of his detention, contrary to international standards such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

I therefore urge you to immediately release Wazir Mohammad and all other detainees at Guantánamo Bay unless they are promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence and brought to trial within a reasonable time in proceedings that fully comply with international standards.

Yours sincerely,


Send appeals to:

George W. Bush
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
USA
Fax: +1 203 456 2461
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov *

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