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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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09 February 2009

URGENT FOWARDED ALERT: US/UK – Health concerns for UK resident detained at Guantánamo Bay

UK resident held at Guantánamo
Ethiopian national Binyam Mohamed, who lived in the UK for seven years, is a victim of rendition who has been unlawfully detained since April 2002, first in Pakistani custody then, since July 2002, in US custody. For the past four years, he has been held at Guantánamo Bay. His physical and mental health is fragile as a result of his treatment in captivity, and he could face an unfair trial before a military commission.

UPDATE 9 FEBRURARY 2009
Concerns are growing for Binyam Mohamed’s health. He began a hunger strike in protest at his continued detention on 5 January and was without food for 9 days. Since 14 January he has been fed by tube – he is reportedly voluntarily submitting to tube feeding due to a fear of being beaten if he was to resist. Binyam Mohamed’s military lawyer, Yvonne Bradley, visited him towards the end of January – she says that Binyam is frail and underweight, and that he appears very frightened. Yvonne Bradley further reports that around 50 other prisoners are also on hunger strike, many of whom are thought to be being tube-fed, with some believed to be in a critical condition.
Please call on the US authorities to allow the detainees who have participated in the hunger strike immediately access to medical care. Act now (http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=568)

Despite recent media reports that Binyam Mohamed is soon to be released and returned to the UK, his lawyers have not received any information on this.
Please continue to write appeals to the UK authorities, urging them to redouble their efforts to obtain Binyam Mohamed’s release and return to the UK, and in particular expressing grave concern for his health.
Please continue to send messages of solidarity to Binyam Mohamed – although your message may not be delivered to him, it is important that he and the Guantánamo authorities know that he has not been forgotten, and that people are continuing to try to get goodwill messages to him.

Find out more

Appeal Action
Please write to your MP, asking for your concerns to be passed on to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Rt Hon David Miliband. We have prepared a template letter you can use. (http://www.amnesty.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_19115.doc) To find out who your MP is and how to contact them go to http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hcio.cfm

Want to do more? Binyam Mohamed featured in the 2008 Greetings Card Campaign. Find out more about his case and send him a message of solidarity. (http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11432)

Source: http://amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=453

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Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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