However like all former detainees, together with myself, father Saifullah is just not actually free.
Just a few months in the past, on what began like an unusual day in Belgrade, I obtained a cellphone name from a quantity I didn't recognise.
I hesitated to reply. I'm initially from Yemen. I used to be detained in Guantanamo for 15 years with out ever being charged with a criminal offense. I used to be finally launched in 2016 and positioned in Serbia, however I nonetheless carry the scars of my unjust imprisonment. So I'm cautious of calls from unknown numbers.
However on that day, I picked up the cellphone and answered: “Salaam alaykum, howdy?”
Once I recognised the voice on the finish of the road, I struggled to carry again tears.
It was Saifullah Paracha – Guantanamo’s oldest ever prisoner who was a second father to me all through my years within the jail camp.
“Welcome, welcome for the one who got here,” I sang loudly into my cellphone in Arabic, greeting him with a tune we used to sing collectively at Guantanamo.
Listening to Saifullah’s voice once more after virtually seven years, for the primary time since I left Guantanamo, introduced life and pleasure to my coronary heart. He nonetheless had the identical chortle, fun that I had missed dearly.
“How are you?” he requested.
“I’m so glad, wallahi,” I replied. “Thanking Allah in your launch.”
After spending virtually 20 years in jail, Saifullah was lastly launched in October 2022. He returned to his residence nation, Pakistan. He's now residing there along with his household.
I requested him to activate the video in order that I can see his face once more. What I noticed on my cellphone’s display gave me combined emotions. I used to be so glad that he was residence, the place he belongs, surrounded by his household. However on the identical time, I used to be very unhappy to see how jail had aged him in the previous couple of years.
Jail steals your life and destroys your soul. Not the jail itself, in fact, however the individuals who imprison you. Saifullah’s eyes seemed drained, and his face confirmed indicators of the years which were stolen from him. However fortunately, he had not misplaced his sense of humour, his caring nature, or his joyful tackle life. He was nonetheless the identical man who I got here to like as a lot as my very own father.
Saifullah is really a second father to me. And as any father would, on our first name after years aside, he requested me if I used to be married but. I instructed him I used to be ready for him to get out of jail in order that he may attend my wedding ceremony.
We then spent a while speaking about my guide – I had despatched a duplicate for him to Guantanamo, however he was not allowed to have it. He additionally requested me about my schooling. I instructed him that I had already obtained my bachelor’s diploma and would quickly full a grasp’s diploma in administration. His face lit up as I spoke, I may see that he was pleased with me.
He then requested me in regards to the different brothers who had been launched earlier than him, and shared information from those that are nonetheless caught in Guantanamo.
Each one in all us was clearly in his ideas.
In Guantanamo, Saifullah was our father, instructor, mentor, chef, therapist and mediator with the jail camp’s administration.
He usually instructed us that he views everybody on the camp – each prisoners and employees – as “his kids”. Due to this, everybody, together with all of the guards, referred to as him “father” or “shasha”.
He devoted all his time and power to serving to others – not solely prisoners, but additionally guards and different employees.
He had his personal class in camp six. In a makeshift classroom transformed from a cell, he used to show completely different teams of prisoners completely different topics and expertise for hours day-after-day. He taught many fellow prisoners English and enterprise expertise throughout his time there.
He had a big impact on the lives of prisoners. He had a big impact on my life.
I used to be not allowed to see him earlier than leaving Guantanamo in 2016. Leaving the camp with out saying goodbye to him was one of many hardest issues I needed to do. I actually didn't wish to go away him behind. I needed he may take my place and go away as an alternative – I might have fortunately stayed on the camp if it meant he can be launched as an alternative.
Ever since I left, I've been eagerly ready for the information of his launch.
I wished to ship him letters by way of the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross, however my lawyer warned me that any such communication might be used in opposition to him and others, so I remained silent.
Once I obtained the information that he would quickly be launched, I couldn't include my pleasure. On the night time the aircraft carrying him took off from the Guantanamo navy base, I used to be tagged in a submit on Twitter that included his flight quantity. I spent the whole night time monitoring the aircraft on-line. Simply two hours after his aircraft landed, I obtained affirmation that he actually was at residence, in Pakistan.
I used to be so glad. It felt like I actually had been freed. I used to be glad that he made it out alive, that he bought to see his household. I used to be glad that he'll get to expertise life outdoors Guantanamo as soon as once more.
I posted the excellent news on a WhatsApp group of former prisoners – everybody was ecstatic. Identical to me, all of them felt like their very own father had been launched.
After my first name with Saifullah, I as soon as once more posted on the chat group to let everybody know that our father sends his salaam to them. All of them requested for his contact particulars so that they can also speak to him, and requested about his well being.
In addition they requested whether or not shasha shared some information from our brothers nonetheless at Guantanamo.
That is the irony of being a former Guantanamo detainee. For years, we had been caught in that camp, determined to know what was happening on this planet. However now that we're free, we're equally determined for information from the jail – from brothers we needed to go away behind.
Right now, I'm grateful – all of us are – that our father, Saifullah, is lastly residence. I'm grateful that I can as soon as once more see his face, hear his chortle, and search his recommendation when I'm in want.
However our battle for justice is much from over.
Father Saifullah was stored in US custody with out trial or cost for almost 20 years. He misplaced his enterprise. He misplaced his well being. His household suffered immensely – a few of his kids needed to develop up not likely understanding their father.
He has now returned residence, however he's nonetheless going through numerous challenges due to what has been achieved to him.
Will those that wrongfully imprisoned him do something to assist him calm down and rebuild his life? It isn't an exaggeration to say the US authorities ruined his life – it ruined all our lives. But, Washington clearly has no intention to atone for the crimes it dedicated in opposition to us.
Leaving Guantanamo doesn't imply you're free, or that you could simply begin residing your life. The actual fact is that when you've got ever been imprisoned in Guantanamo, that place stays part of your life without end. The years of torture and abuse go away everlasting scars in your physique and soul. I ponder if any of us will ever get well from the trauma inflicted on us in that camp.
Identical to Saifullah, all former Guantanamo prisoners are nonetheless struggling in by some means. We're all making an attempt to course of our trauma and adapt to our new actuality. A few of us are nonetheless in jail in different international locations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Others dwell in limbo, with none authorized standing or rights, in international locations like Kazakhstan. With nobody to assist them heal and rebuild their lives, some have turn into houseless of their residence nation or the third nation they've been despatched to after their launch. Just a few misplaced their lives as a consequence of medical negligence.
Right now, we seem like free, however we're all truly residing in Guantanamo 2.0. After many years of abuse, the US merely threw us away, providing no assist, care or compensation. Many are struggling in international locations they need to have by no means been despatched to, being handled like convicted terrorists or worse. We aren't a part of any rehabilitation or integration programmes. Now we have been freed, however we now have not discovered justice.
Guantanamo has been open for over 20 years. Of the 34 males nonetheless imprisoned, 20 have been cleared for switch – some, for over a decade. None of them has been charged with a criminal offense, and but they're nonetheless trapped within the Guantanamo torture chamber.
As former prisoners, we're campaigning for Guantanamo to be closed and for males nonetheless caught there to be launched. However we're additionally calling for justice.
We would like the US authorities to be held accountable for the torture and abuse it inflicted on us. We would like compensation for all of the hurt inflicted on us.
Are we more likely to see justice in our lifetime? Maybe not. However we'll proceed combating, campaigning and protesting – for our father, Saifullah, and all our brothers inside and outdoors the jail camp.
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