Broadcast February 17 2009
Once a year, around the start of December, our church has a day when we write cards and letters of support to people identified by Amnesty International who have been imprisoned unfairly, or simply for their religious or political beliefs.
Last time we decided to concentrate on just one of these people during the course of the year by writing follow-up messages. We eventually settled on the British resident Binyam Mohammed, held in Guantanamo Bay for years without trial. The idea was that we would continue to keep the pressure up for his release. And then we read the news. Binyam was to be released. Well, that was good. We could all relax. Then came the election of Obama and his promise to close down Guantanamo Bay.
All of this is great news – but is it actually enough?
Binyam Mohammed may be nearly free, but is he entitled to more than that?
All charges were dropped against him last year – yet still he has been kept prisoner in that jail. Even more disturbingly, he (and his lawyers), argue that they have evidence of appalling torture against him during his captivity.
And now we have the unusual spectacle of Foreign Secretary David Miliband stepping in to prevent the release of this evidence by the High Court. Despite his assurance to the House of Commons that there is no “threat” from the US he states that “the US will review their sharing of intelligence with Britain if the information is made public”.
Sounds like a threat to me…
The Bible stresses the vital need for justice, and yet it’s something that surely all people of good-will can work towards, whatever our faith or background and however complex the situation.
Justice is a very important concept, because all real peace is based on it. But justice is itself dependant on the truth being known.
Guantanamo Bay prison may soon be gone, but that doesn’t mean that the truth behind the stories should remain hidden. And I hope that we in the UK will not be part of such a collusion.
Were Binyam a terrorist he would deserve to be sentenced for his crimes. If, instead, he is the victim of injustice and torture, then his story needs to be heard.