Dubai: British activists and celebrities are joining a “relay hunger strike” in support of Guantanamo Bay detainees.
The strike is part of the Stand Fast for Justice campaign organised by human rights organisation Reprieve, and was brought into the media spotlight when popular British comedian Frankie Boyle joined earlier this month. Boyle fasted for seven days for the cause.
The relay hunger strike has each activist abstaining from food for a number of days before ‘passing’ the hunger strike on to the next activist.
Reprieve told Gulf News that the response from the public has been “overwhelmingly supportive” with people signing up to continue the hunger strike for almost 1800 days on the campaign’s website, standfastforjustice.org.
Boyle and other UK activists particularly aim to pressure the UK government to force the release of the last British Guantanamo Bay detainee, Shaker Aamer.
Aamer was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and has been in the prison for 11 years without being charged or tried.
The strike also aims to pressure the US administration to release the 166 multi-national detainees held at the notorious prison, and was inspired by 100 Guantanamo Bay detainees who began their hunger strike in February.
“The detainees — over half of whom have been cleared for release for years — became so frustrated at their indefinite detention and about worsening conditions at the prison that they started a protest with the only means at their disposal,” Reprieve told Gulf News in a statement by email.
“The US currently admits that it is force-feeding (though they call it ‘enteral feeding’) 44 detainees — though this is only their official figure and actual numbers may be higher,” the statement added.
During President Obama’s 2008 presidency campaign, a key promise made was the closure of Guantanamo Bay before his first term ends. However, few steps were taken and any efforts made were blocked by Republicans in Congress. The prison has marred the image of the US and its human rights record internationally.
Reprieve condemned Obama’s failure to close the prison.
“President Obama promised he would close the prison in 2009 and has yet to do so despite the fact the majority of the men have had neither charge nor trial for eleven years. President Obama needs to close the prison, at once,” its statement said.
The hunger strike has been joined by a number of British celebrities and personalities, such as actress Julie Christie, who pledged a week of fasting, and veteran human rights lawyer Margaret Owen, who is currently still on hunger strike.
Maya Foa, a member of Reprieve, blogged about her hunger strike experience on the organisation’s website. On July 30, she wrote: “It was the social element of eating I missed this evening, not the food itself…I thought about all the meals the men in Guantanamo were missing…sitting around a table with family or friends, breaking bread together, exchanging the stories of the day, hopes and plans for the next.”
Foa’s post also stated that Aamer and other Guantanamo Bay detainees were “thrilled” with the support. Reprieve says it will continue to run Stand Fast for Justice until all Guantanamo bay detainees are released.
