New animation depicts life inside Guantanamo
A new animation narrated by actors David Morrisey and Peter Capaldi depicting life inside the US prison at Guantanamo Bay was released today. The animation ‘features’ three detainees who have been cleared for release but remain detained – Shaker Aamer, Younous Chekkouri, Samir Mukbel and Ahmed Belbacha.
Produced by Sherbert and the Guardian, the film uses testimony from the men, and also from recently released Nabil Hadjarab, provided by their lawyers at human rights charity Reprieve.
Shaker Aamer is a British resident whose British wife and four children all live in London. The UK Prime Minister has called for the return of Shaker and recently raised his case with President Obama. Younous Chekkouri is a Moroccan national with strong ties to Germany. Samir Mukbel is a Yemeni whose op-ed in the New York Times earlier this year drew attention to the hunger-strike, and Ahmed Belbacha is an Algerian man who lived for a time in the UK. Despite all three having been cleared for release they remain detained at the prison.
Reprieve’s Strategic Director, Cori Crider, said: “The details of what goes on in Guantanamo are either completely hidden from the public or censored. Even what my clients say to me, their lawyer, is monitored. This animation cuts straight through the sterilised Gitmo the US government would have us believe in to the ugly reality my clients face. Over half of these prisoners have been cleared for release for years, including British resident Shaker Aamer. Yet he and the others remain without charge or trial. Obama must send the cleared men home.”