Key Takeaways
- The United Kingdom has agreed to pay a "substantial" out-of-court settlement to Palestinian Guantanamo prisoner Abu Zubaydah.
- Zubaydah was accused of being a high-ranking al-Qaeda official but was never found guilty by any court of law.
- The CIA has acknowledged that Zubaydah was not a member of the Islamist group.
- Zubaydah was subjected to torture by the CIA with the complicity of the United Kingdom and several other nations.
- The settlement is seen as a significant development in the case, but Zubaydah’s lawyer argues that it is "far from sufficient" while he remains in unlawful detention.
Introduction to the Case
The United Kingdom has recently agreed to pay a substantial out-of-court settlement to Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay. Zubaydah was accused of being a high-ranking al-Qaeda official and was alleged to have run training camps in Afghanistan for terrorists. However, the claim has not been substantiated, and Zubaydah was never found guilty by any court of law. In fact, the CIA has acknowledged that Zubaydah was not a member of the Islamist group.
The Torture of Abu Zubaydah
Abu Zubaydah’s lawyer, Helen Duffy, described him as a "forever prisoner" who was subjected to torture by the CIA with the complicity of the United Kingdom and several other nations. A UK parliamentary report in 2018 acknowledged the UK’s role in feeding the CIA questions despite knowing it was carrying out acts of torture. Human Rights in Practice stated that Zubaydah was held from 2002 to 2006 in "black site" prisons across the globe and subjected to unlawful and brutal torture. He was held in Thailand, Poland, Morocco, Lithuania, and Afghanistan.
The Settlement and Its Implications
The settlement is seen as a significant development in the case, but Duffy argued that it is "far from sufficient" while Zubaydah remains in unlawful detention. She emphasized that the next step must be for the UK and others to publicly acknowledge their role and offer to facilitate his immediate release. The case is deeply relevant today, as some states ride roughshod over international law, and the world looks to others to respond. There are critical lessons about the cost of cooperating with the US or other allies flouting international norms.
The CIA’s Interrogation Techniques
According to a US Senate report, Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times and left isolated for up to 47 days at a time. The CIA admitted he was neither a member of the al-Qaeda terror group nor played a role in the September 11 attacks. In one instance of torture, Zubaydah was left in a coffin-sized box for 11 days, where he was abandoned to "marinate in his own urine and feces." Duffy stated that if you’ve detained and tortured someone for over 23 years without reasons or evidence, you cannot prosecute them now.
Reaction to the Settlement
The financial settlement has been met with criticism from some UK politicians, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick. They questioned how the UK could pay a substantial sum to a "terror suspect" while hiking taxes for its citizens. However, Duffy and other human rights advocates argue that the settlement is a necessary step towards accountability and justice for Zubaydah and other victims of torture.
Conclusion
The case of Abu Zubaydah highlights the need for accountability and justice for victims of torture and unlawful detention. The UK’s settlement with Zubaydah is a significant development, but it is only the first step towards addressing the human rights violations that occurred. The international community must continue to push for transparency and accountability in cases like Zubaydah’s, and work towards ensuring that such abuses never happen again. As Duffy emphasized, "There are critical lessons about the cost of cooperating with the US or other allies flouting international norms. It is more important than ever that human rights and states’ international obligations are respected, and violations are met with reparation and accountability."
