Comments on: Former prisoners launch the Guantánamo Justice Centre in London

By: Q&A with Moazzam Begg, Omar Deghayes, Andy Worthington and Polly Nash « Dandelion Salad

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:59:26 +0000

[...] will be tortured on their return. Omar also spoke about the aims of the Guantánamo Justice Centre, launched in August, which hopes to provide support and legal assistance for released prisoners around the [...]

By: “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” « Earwicga

“Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” « Earwicga — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:06:54 +0000

[...] Where: Cochrane Theatre, Southampton Row, London WC1 When: Wednesday October 21, 2009. Doors open 6 pm, film starts 7 pm. Q&A with Moazzam Begg, Omar Deghayes, Andy Worthington and Polly Nash starts 8.30 pm. Tickets are free but must be booked via the Cochrane Theatre website. This event is in association with Cageprisoners and the Guantánamo Justice Centre (also see here). [...]

By: Film Launch: Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:26:13 +0000

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:17:27 +0000

Hi Mui,
Great comments, as ever. I was thinking about trauma when Moazzam was talking about the deeply troubled British ex-prisoners, and also, by contrast, when Binyam was demonstrating how he is coming to terms with his long ordeal, as Moazzam, Omar, Sami and others have done before, by, I believe, “owning” their experiences and devoting themselves to bringing the suffering of others to an end.
Of course, while I remain full of admiration at how these men have coped, it’s painfully true that behind them are many others with no support network, no counseling, and, very possibly, no way of coping with their demons, and addressing this may well be the most important function of the GJC.

By: mui

mui — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:08:47 +0000

Yes, I’ve heard of this in torture victims. I’ve heard it sometimes goes beyond post trauma, and involves brain damage.
From the SPSSI (http://www.spssi.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=1061&parentID=47 ):
Comprehensive reviews of the psychological effects of torture (Basoglu, M., Jaranson, J.M., Mollica, R., & Kastrup, M., 2001; Gerrity, Keane, & Tuma, 2001; Quiroga & Jaranson, 2005; Turner, 2004) have systematically evaluated research with torture survivors, examining the unique consequences associated with torture and the complex interaction of social, environmental, and justice-related issues. As noted in these reviews, the psychological problems most commonly reported by torture survivors in research studies include: (a) psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, irritability or aggressiveness, emotional instability, self-isolation or social withdrawal); (b) cognitive symptoms (confusion or disorientation, impaired memory and concentration); and (c) neurovegetative symptoms (insomnia, nightmares, sexual dysfunction). Other findings reported in studies of torture survivors include abnormal sleep patterns (Astrom, Lunde, Ortmann, & Boysen, 1989), brain damage (Bradley & Tawfiq, 2006), and personality changes (Ortmann & Lunde, 1988). The effects of torture can extend throughout the life of the survivor affecting his or her psychological, familial, and economic functioning (Basoglu et al., 2005; Mollica, McInnes, Poole, & Tor, 1998; Quiroga & Jaranson, 2005). Such consequences have also been shown to be transmitted across generations in studies of various victim/survivor populations and across trauma types (Danieli, Y., 1997; Daud, Skoglund, & Rydelius, 2005; Yehuda, et al., 2005).

Studies conducted over the past 15 years strongly suggest that people who develop PTSD may also experience serious neurobiological changes (Friedman, Charney, & Deutch, 1995; Southwick & Friedman, 2001), including changes in the body’s ability to respond to stress (through alterations in stress hormones) (Charney, Deutch, & Krystal, 1993), and changes in the hippocampus, an area in the brain related to contextual memory (Bremner et al., 1995; Gurvits et al., 1996). Thus, the development of PTSD has direct and long-term implications for the functioning of numerous biological systems essential to human functioning.

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:26:57 +0000

Thanks, Brandy.
Great to hear from you.
And for readers who have not heard of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, may I recommend their website:
http://www.irct.org/

By: Brandy Bauer

Brandy Bauer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:11:36 +0000

Bravo to these courageous men who are trying to improve the support to those held in/relased from secret prisons. We at the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims have been petitioning various governments (but especially the US) to do more to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of these men, especially those who have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment. But we have so much more to do – not least setting up rehabilitation services in areas (e.g. Yemen) where many may return to. I’ll be sure to highlight this initiative and post it on the IRCT website.

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:36:01 +0000

Hi Saleyha,
Binyam, Moazzam and Omar are all spokesmen for the GJC, so I’d contact them directly.
I’m told that a full recording of the speeches will be made available on the GJC website, which should be up and running soon.
Best,
Andy

By: saleyha ahsan

saleyha ahsan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:51:50 +0000

So gutted i missed this. I was supposed to try and come along and did not realise when it was taking place. I was on nights this week as it turned out. I want to see if I can facilitate anything medically and also a few other things I want to talk through. Who is the best person to contact? WOuld it be reprieve? Or the guys themselves?

By: DhafirTrial » Former prisoners launch the Guantánamo Justice Centre in London

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:50:35 +0000

[...] organization, based in Geneva, with an office in London and others to follow in other countries. (more…) [...]