(WASHINGTON D.C., 7/19/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the release of a Guantanamo detainee who was imprisoned at the facility for 19 years without a charge.
SEE: Abdul Latif Nasser Released From Guantanamo After 19 Years Of Detention Without Charge
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/abdul-latif-nasser-transfer-guantanamo_n_60ef02eee4b0a771e7fff216
Abdul Latif Nasser, originally from Morocco, was transferred to his home country today. Nasser was captured in Afghanistan and detained in Guantanamo in 2002. He was alleged to be a ranking member of Al Qaeda, but evidence was lacking and he was never given a trial or charged with an offense.
In 2016, Nasser was cleared for release by the Periodic Review Board, an interagency board established by the Obama administration to determine which Guantanamo detainees could safely be released from detention. However, the Department of Justice fought the Periodic Review Board’s decision and Nasser was not released. He continued to be detained for 4 years under the Trump administration, which promised to reverse the Obama administration’s policy of depopulating Guantanamo. Nasser is the first Guantanamo detainee to be released by the Biden administration.
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We welcome the decision of the Biden administration to release this detainee, who should have been released long ago. We hope that this decision represents the first step toward full closure of the Guantanamo detention facility, which has been the site of horrific human rights violations and injustices. The inhumane policy of indefinite detention without trial must end.”
Mitchell noted that CAIR has repeatedly called for the closure of Guantanamo.
SEE: A Prayer to Close Guantanamo
ACTION ALERT: CAIR Urges Support for Jan. 11 ‘Rally to Close Guantanamo and End Islamophobia’ at U.S. Supreme Court
Join CAIR on May 23 Global Day of Action to Close Guantanamo and End Indefinite Detention
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]