Defending The Truth: Former Inmate Urges Paramount To Reconsider Cancelation Of “The Guantanamo Candidate”

In a world filled with shadows and secrecy, truth is often elusive. When it comes to Guantanamo Bay, the truth to me is crystal clear: it was and remains one of the biggest and longest-standing human rights violations in the 21st century. Open for more than twenty-one years, Guantanamo and its history remain shrouded in secrecy. As a former prisoner who endured around 15 years of imprisonment without ever being charged with a crime, I am determined to speak out about Guantanamo so that the world understands the scale and scope of injustices carried out at the world’s most infamous prison, and to bring justice and peace to its victims.

The “Guantanamo Candidate”: A Politically Motivated Cancelation?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to share parts of my story in the documentary, “The Guantanamo Candidate” produced by Vice News and scheduled to air on Showtime, owned by Paramount. The documentary aimed to shed light on one of Guantanamo’s darkest periods, the years surrounding the 2005/06 hunger strike, and the mysterious deaths of three prisoners. The producers tapped staff sergeant Joe Hickman, who was there during that time, myself, and several others to give our personal accounts and experiences of what happened.

During my time at Guantanamo, I witnessed and experienced unimaginable horrors. Many of the faces responsible for my and my fellow prisoner’s pain and torment are etched into my memory.  Ron DeSantis is one such face I will never forget. I distinctly remember him being among a group of observers, smiling and laughing while I was being brutally force-fed to end my hunger strike. Only a few former prisoners remember him well, but those of us who do cannot forget him.

Our memories are vivid, yet the truth about Guantanamo Bay remains suppressed, blocked by government classifications and redactions, and chilled by gatekeepers and executives concerned about the bottom line. Scheduled to air in May 2023, “The Guantanamo Candidate” was canceled indefinitely the week it was to air. Speculations suggest the cancellation was motivated by political considerations and the fear of naming a presidential candidate as a witness and possible participant in force-feedings of Guantanamo prisoners, something that has been categorized by the United Nations as torture. As someone who lived that experience and has worked hard to shed light on the secrets of Guantanamo, sharing my story with the public through this documentary made me feel heard.

Exposing Guantanamo: The Struggle

I’ve learned over the years that the media serves an important role in democracy as society’s watchdog. Covering Guantanamo has been a struggle since the opening days of the US War on Terror. Misinformation, classifications, secrecy, and the political value of fear combined with tough talk on terrorism have made covering Guantanamo difficult. Former prisoners, valuable sources for reporting, often feel threatened, vilified, stigmatized, or simply made to look suspicious. Other sources like former guards, staff, or attorneys have been gagged with non-disclosure agreements or with secret classifications that prevent them from speaking on the record. All of this has consolidated reporting on Guantanamo to a few gatekeepers who have come to define the Guantanamo we see in the media. When a documentary like “The Guantanamo Candidate,” comes along, it creates real potential to crack open the secrets of Guantanamo and bring about accountability. It also serves as a new medium to hear the untold stories that have been suppressed. Sure, I was disappointed to learn that “The Guantanamo Candidate” had been canceled for personal reasons. But more importantly, the cancellation showed me that it was just business as usual as those at the highest level who may be responsible for acts heinous acts of torture and human rights abuses escape scrutiny, again.

The truth was the first casualty of the War on Terror. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to keep Guantanamo open and at the same time hide what really happened there. Reporting has been limited to what was revealed more than ten years ago with documented revelations of torture and enhanced interrogation. But those who were at Guantanamo, whether prisoner, staffer, or guard know those revelations are just the tip of the iceberg.

A Refusal to Be Silenced

Since my transfer from Guantanamo Bay seven years ago, I have dedicated myself to exposing the truth of what happened to me and my fellow prisoners. My voice has joined the chorus of others who refuse to be silenced by fear or intimidation. I have spoken at conferences, given interviews to the media, and written extensively about my experiences in my memoir, Don’t Forget Us Here, Lost and Found at Guantanamo. The lack of transparency surrounding this detention facility and the conditions endured by its inmates is an affront to the principles of justice and human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Together with dedicated lawyers, we strive to bring those responsible for the torture and abuses to justice.

As a former prisoner who has endured unimaginable suffering, I call on Showtime to reconsider their decision to cancel “The Guantanamo Candidate.” The world deserves to know more about what happened at Guantanamo Bay during 2006, and this documentary sheds much- needed light on this dark chapter in its history to show us who was there, what they knew, how they acted, and how their stories align with the truth of what happened.

I am grateful to Vice for their courage in pursuing this story, and I hope they will find another way to bring it to the public. I also stand with my fellow former prisoners who bravely spoke out for this documentary. We refuse to be silenced; we will continue to speak out against torture in all its forms and demand accountability.

Only when we hold a mirror up to the truth of the United States government’s crimes can we genuinely understand the depths of the injustices committed in America’s name. I encourage Showtime to rise above political pressures and personal interests and to stand firm in their commitment to exploring truth. As I look back on my time at Guantanamo Bay and the suffering endured by countless others, I am reminded that the truth must be told, not just for me and former prisoners, but for the sake of human rights and to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated.

Paramount’s slogan is “Popular is paramount.” Let’s make defending truth popular.

Related:

– The Many Eids Spent In Guantanamo: An Ex-Detainee Reflects – MuslimMatters.org

– Guantanamo Bay: Past And Present – MuslimMatters.org