In the past few weeks, we have been heartened to hear of the release of several prisoners from the Guantánamo Bay detention camp, which opened 23 years ago on January 11, 2002. Thanks to recent transfers conducted under President Biden, the prison holds the fewest number of inmates it has ever held since its founding. That said, six of the remaining 15 men have never been charged with any crime, and three have already been cleared for transfer.
As our colleagues at the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns note, Guantánamo Bay is the scene of an ongoing crime, of illegal detention, torture, and wanton cruelty. As a gross violation of human rights, it disgraces the United States in the eyes of the world. In the course of its lifetime, the prison has held 780 inmates.
Former President Obama and President Biden both campaigned on the promise to put an end to this blot on the United States’ conscience. President Biden has only until January 20 to complete that promise.
Take action
- On January 11 and subsequently on the first Wednesday of the month, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is co-sponsoring vigils and rallies in cities across the country to call for the closure of the prison and end to indefinite detention. If your local Pax Christi group, religious or community organization would like to host or co-sponsor an event or to receive a “Close Guantánamo” banner, please contact Rev. TC Morrow at tmorrow@nrcat.org.
- Pray one of NRCAT’s prayers for the closing of Guantanamo, either individually or in a group setting.
- Find more resources on the NRCAT website.
- Use this link provided by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns to call on the Biden administration to finish the job of closing Guantanamo.