Dear Friends,

We ended four long years of the Trump Administration without any significant action being taken to restart the torture program. Our advocacy, targeted where and when it mattered, was successful. Still, Guantanamo prison remains open – almost 20 years now after the first prisoner was sent there. Forty men, many of whom were tortured, remain imprisoned there, most without any hope of trial or due process. 

Now, under a new Administration, NRCAT is working with allies from the human rights and faith communities to ensure that President Biden and the new Congress will close Guantanamo, end indefinite detention without trial, and place the United States back on solid ground as a global advocate for human rights.

Your support today thanks to our June $30,000 challenge match gives us the ability to share our Close Guantanamo message through legislative action alerts, local educational events, and social media.

As part of our ongoing campaign to Close Guantanamo, this Torture Awareness Month, NRCAT is encouraging people to organize groups to watch and discuss The Mauritanian, a film telling the story of former Guantanamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi and his fight for freedom after being detained, tortured, and imprisoned without charge. The film is available for streaming and NRCAT has created a discussion and advocacy guide that you can use to organize post-watch online discussions and advocacy opportunities.

By making a financial contribution to NRCAT today, you can help us advertise this film to people of faith and others around the country. 

Many young people weren’t even born when the Bush-Cheney Administration sent the first detainees to Guantanamo more than 19 years ago. Your support will help us reach college campuses and youth groups with educational resources like the screenings of The Mauritanian.

Together we can finally close the shameful symbol of U.S. torture that is the Guantanamo prison.

Sincerely,

Matt Hawthorne
Policy Director

PS - Our friends at Witness Against Torture (WAT) invite you to join them in fasting for a day or two or more from June 21 – June 26. The fast is in solidarity with those who have suffered or are suffering from torture, especially those still locked in Guantanamo. If you would like to join the fast, please email [email protected] with "RSVP for Fast" in the subject line. You'll receive a Zoom link for periodic gatherings during the fast, a menu of actions you can take during the week, and tips on fasting safely.