Stop Deporting Guantanamo Detainees to Persecution at Home

Stop Deporting Guantanamo Detainees to Persecution at Home

The Issue

Hard to imagine a worse fate than being wrongly imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. But as if being detained in the U.S.'s offshore human-rights loophole isn't enough, the U.S. Military is now "freeing" prisoners back to countries where there is clear danger to their lives.

As with any deportation, a detainee has the right to protest that the country of repatriation is not safe. The 1994 Convention Against Torture is a legal safeguard that protects any forcible return to a country with a proven track record for abuse that may affect the safety of the prisoner in question.

Yet since Obama's innauguration (remember when he promised to shut Guantanamo down?), two freed Guantanamo detainees have been forcibly transferred to Algeria on separate occasions, despite their avid protests that their lives would be at risk once they touched down on Algerian soil.

I never imagined saying this, but these prisoners may be better of at Guantanamo than being sent back to Algeria. Now that's something. Tell the U.S. Military to stop deporting Guantanamo detainees to countries where they may face further human rights abuses. It's the least they could do.

avatar of the starter
L MPetition StarterI live in my native Bay Area where I am a writer, educator and immigrant rights advocate. I currently work for Refugee Transitions and the Oakland Unified School District, supporting newcomer youth and parents to access the educational services they need during their transition to life in the U.S. I have also worked with immigrant and other vulnerable populations in Uganda and El Salvador. I am studying creative writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and believe in writing as a tool for learning, healing, growth and social change.
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The Issue

Hard to imagine a worse fate than being wrongly imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. But as if being detained in the U.S.'s offshore human-rights loophole isn't enough, the U.S. Military is now "freeing" prisoners back to countries where there is clear danger to their lives.

As with any deportation, a detainee has the right to protest that the country of repatriation is not safe. The 1994 Convention Against Torture is a legal safeguard that protects any forcible return to a country with a proven track record for abuse that may affect the safety of the prisoner in question.

Yet since Obama's innauguration (remember when he promised to shut Guantanamo down?), two freed Guantanamo detainees have been forcibly transferred to Algeria on separate occasions, despite their avid protests that their lives would be at risk once they touched down on Algerian soil.

I never imagined saying this, but these prisoners may be better of at Guantanamo than being sent back to Algeria. Now that's something. Tell the U.S. Military to stop deporting Guantanamo detainees to countries where they may face further human rights abuses. It's the least they could do.

avatar of the starter
L MPetition StarterI live in my native Bay Area where I am a writer, educator and immigrant rights advocate. I currently work for Refugee Transitions and the Oakland Unified School District, supporting newcomer youth and parents to access the educational services they need during their transition to life in the U.S. I have also worked with immigrant and other vulnerable populations in Uganda and El Salvador. I am studying creative writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and believe in writing as a tool for learning, healing, growth and social change.

The Decision Makers

Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security

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Petition created on January 14, 2011