News came yesterday of releases of 4 political prisoners held
by the United States for far too long.
 Three men of the Uighur nationality are reported by the U.S. Defense
Department to have been relocated to Slovakia. This means nine prisoners have
been released in the last few months, and for them and their loved ones, we
can celebrate.
No thanks are due to the Obama administration for
finally letting men go who were cleared for released back into the Bush
administration. The Guardian reports:
“Twelve years of detention without trial have
ended for three Uighur men who have left Guantánamo Bay for Slovakia, the US
Department of Defense announced on Tuesday, ending a clear mistake of the 9/11
era.
“The three men – Yusef Abbas, Hajiakbar Abdulghuper and Saidullah
Khalik – did not pose any terrorist threat to the US, a recognition the Defense
Department came to during the Bush administration. A federal judge ordered them freed in 2008, and a
2009 panel appointed by President Barack Obama concurred. Their continuing
detention was the result of a snarled political, bureaucratic and diplomatic
process that underscored the continuing difficulty of closing the notorious
detention center.”
In a photo from
June 2009, Chinese Uighur Guantánamo detainees show a note to members of the
media.
Photograph: Brennan Linsley/AP
Our friend and advisor Lynne Stewart was finally granted
compassionate release from a federal prison where she should never have been
sent to. She flew home to New York City this morning, and will live with her
son, an attorney who has also defended political activists. We celebrate with
Ralph Poynter, her devoted partner of decades, children and grandchildren, with
her former clients, some of whom are still political prisoners.
Judge
Koetl promised to free her last August, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons took
five months to grant what she was entitled to: a chance to die at home of
terminal cancer, surrounded by loved ones. From Lynne:
12/31/12 3:24 pm
My Dears:
Well,
the impossible takes a little longer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We learned this
morning that the US Attorney’s office has made the motion for my compassionate
release and that the Order was on Judge Koeltl’s desk. Since on the last
go-round he stated in Court that he would treat it “favorably”, we are now just
waiting expectantly.
The wonderful thing is that Ralph is here in Ft
Worth for a visit and will bring me back to NYC with him. We don’t know when
but the rules state that the warden has 2 days to let me go after he receives
the order so it could be as early as Friday or a few days more. Whatever it is,
I can’t stop crying tears of Joy !! I can’t stop thinking of all the marvelous
people worldwide who made this happen ..you know because each of you played an
integral role. My daughter Z is already lining up Sloan Kettering and we will
have to see if there is a probation qualification attached to the Order and how
it will affect me. After that Ralph will start making arrangements to rent
Yankee Stadium for the Welcome Home… Smile
Lynne arriving at
LaGuardia airport this afternoon.
 Listen to the interview with Bob Boyle, one of
Lynne's attorneys, on Democracy Now yesterday.
 Watch video interview with Lynne from the airport.
Fight on, says Lynne: "Power from the people." Find out more at lynnestewart.org. |
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Thanks
to all who made end of year donations to World
Can't Wait's work. We had a surge of incoming online and check donations Monday
& Tuesday, and great messages, too.
IF you didn't have a chance to
donate, it's not too late. Many World Can't Wait supporters volunteer by
spreading our messages. There are other volunteer needs. Write me.
We have a campaign running on Indiegogo through
January 18. Donations from $5 up make a difference in funding visible protest
& information aimed at closing Guantanamo and ending U.S. indefinite
detention.
12 Years of Guantanamo: Close
It Down NOW!
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