Close Guantanamo!

Close Guantanamo

Close Guantanamo Action GuideOn January 11, 2002, the US transferred the first detainees to the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Five years later, despite widespread international condemnation, hundreds of people of more than 30 nationalities remain there. Amnesty activists all over the world will mobilize to call for the closure of the prison facilities at Guantánamo. Download the guide (in PDF) »
 

Inside the Guide

Included in this action guide is:

  • information that will assist you in planning public events,
  • a letter writing action,
  • a template letter to the editor, and
  • the America I Believe In pledge.
Our goal is to gather 500,000 signatures on the “America I Believe In” pledge by June 2007 so we encourage you to keep the pledge on hand and collect signatures at all of your upcoming activities and events.
Generate community press around the fifth anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at the U.S.-controlled detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (password protected).

Why focus on Guantanamo Bay?

  • Because the U.S. administration chose Guantánamo as the location for this detention facility in an attempt to hold detainees beyond the reach of U.S. and international law.
  • Because Guantanamo has become the most visible symbol of U.S. human rights abuses in the name of the “war on terror.”
  • Because five years of lawlessness is too long.
  • Because Guantanamo must be closed.

Our central message is the totality of the detention regime in Guantánamo – harsh, indefinite and isolating which amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and is in violation of international law. All those who remain in detention must either be charged with a crime and given a fair trial or released unconditionally.

Raise Awareness, Demand Justice

Please visit our our Denounce Torture page for downloadable materials to help organize events in your community. The Close Guantanamo Action Guide (PDF) includes:

  • background information,
  • flyers and
  • actions.

Use these materials to mark the fifth anniversary of these unlawful detentions. Plan a vigil or rally in front of your local or federal courthouse on January 11, 2007, to educate the public and demand that the U.S. government end this dark chapter in U.S. history by closing the facilities in Guantanamo Bay and disclosing the rest. In addition to events all across the country and around the world, there will be a press conference and rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC demanding access to justice and human dignity for all.
 

Learn More

We look forward to your continued participation! Together we will ensure that Guantanamo detainees receive a fair trial or are released unconditionally, and that the detention facility is closed for good. Five years of indefinite detention is five years too long.

Please visit our denounce torture page to learn more and for downloadable materials to help organize your vigil or rally in our community. You can also contact the Denounce Torture Project Manager by email or call 202.544.0200 ext. 243.