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December 14, 2015

Shaker Aamer Speaks After Release from Guantánamo 
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British resident Shaker Aamer has spoken out about his imprisonment in
Guantánamo, following his release in October after more than 13 years
behind bars. Aamer had been cleared for release since 2007, but the
United States kept him locked up without charge. He says he was
subjected to torture, beatings, sleep deprivation and starvation, doused
with freezing water and forced to stand for 18 hours at a time. In a
series of interviews, Aamer said a British official was present during
one of his beatings. Aamer also condemned extremism, saying any
extremists living in the U.K. should "get the hell out." And speaking to
ITV News, Aamer described reuniting with his wife and children.

Juliet Bremner: "There was a son that you'd never seen?"

Shaker Aamer: "It's [not] just the son, it's all of them. I mean, it's
14 years, you know. My eldest daughter, she was four and a half, you
know? And it's a stranger, you know. For them, I'm a stranger, I'm a
total stranger, you know."

 

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