Welcome to Andy Worthington

A cross-post, with my own introduction, of a powerful op-ed in the Washington Post by two attorneys who represent “forever prisoner” Mohammed bin Lep, explaining how the military commission system is broken, and asking how the US government supposedly justifies holding some prisoners indefinitely without charge or trial because of “flimsy” and untested allegations that purport to prove that they pose a threat to the US.

Video of my half-hour interview, on Jan. 11, the 19th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, with Kevin Gosztola of Shadowproof for his YouTube channel. We also discussed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition case, and the Trump-inspired invasion of the Capitol last week.

Monday January 11 marks the 19th anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and unfortunately, because of Covid, the annual vigil outside the White House has been called off, as has my annual visit. However, various online events are taking place instead, which are listed here.

As Judge Vanessa Baraitser denies bail to Julian Assange, I point out how necessary it is for the incoming Biden administration to conclude, as Barack Obama did, that prosecuting Assange poses too grave a threat to press freedoms to proceed with, and to drop the extradition request.

My response to the totally unexpected ruling today by Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who refused to approve WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, on the basis that “his autism spectrum disorder” would “caus[e] him to commit suicide.”

Here’s a link to, and my detailed description of a recent interview I undertook with Andy Bungay for his show on Riverside Radio in Wandsworth, including discussion of the Save Reginald Save Tidemill campaign, the Grenfell Tower fire, and, of course, the impact of Covid-19 on residential and business rents in the capital. We also discussed my photo-journalism project ‘The State of London’, and Andy also played three songs by my band The Four Fathers.

My assessment of two recent articles, in the New York Times and the Observer, about Joe Biden and Guantánamo, and what we might expect from the new administration regarding the decrepit state of Camp 7, reserved for the “high-value detainees”, the broken nature of the military commissions, and the need for action on releasing six men already approved for release, and the inappropriate imprisonment, without charge or trial, and with no end in sight, of numerous “low-value detainees.”

An open letter to Joe Biden and the US Congress opposing the nomination of Mike Morell as CIA Director, and Senate approval of Biden’s nominee Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence, because they both have a history, under Barack Obama, of having been torture apologists. I’m a signatory to the letter, along with numerous other individuals, including five former Guantánamo prisoners.

Linking to, and discussing my recent one-hour interview with Chris Cook on his Gorilla Radio show in Victoria, British Columbia, about hopes for the release of prisoners from Guantánamo, and the eventual closure of the prison, under Joe Biden, and the proposed extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. We also spoke about my photo-journalism project ‘The State of London’, and my band The Four Fathers.

Responding to the good news that Said Nashir (aka Hani Abdullah), a Yemeni prisoner at Guantánamo, has been approved for release by a Periodic Review Board, the first such decision to take place under Donald Trump. Unfortunately, two other men had their ongoing imprisonment approved by PRBs, nearly three and four years after their last hearings took place. These are unacceptable delays, and it is to be hoped that Joe Biden will not only release Nashir (and five other men long cleared for release), but will also urgently overhaul the review process.