Dear Friends,

In six days, on January 11, it will be exactly 20 years since the U.S. sent the first detainees to be imprisoned in Guantanamo. While most of the 780 people who were sent to Guantanamo are no longer there, 39 men remain. Many of them were tortured at Guantanamo or at CIA black sites, and most have never been charged with or tried for any crime. 

Your voice is needed now. Join NRCAT and faith leaders around the country by writing a letter-to-the-editor for your local newspaper that calls on Congress and President Biden to close Guantanamo this year. We have talking points available to help you draft your letter.

In addition to writing a letter-to-the-editor there are many more things you can do in early 2022 to help build momentum to close Guantanamo: 

• Join and invite others to attend the webinar "Guantanamo 20 Years On: A Religious Perspective" on January 11 at 3pm ET.
• Send an email to your Member of Congress.
• Arrange for your local faith group, friends, or others to watch and discuss The Mauritanian, a 2021 Hollywood film based on a book written by former Guantanamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi - learn more.
• Sign our petition and share it with your friends.
• Use these sermon talking points and sample prayers in a worship service or online vigil.
• Wear an orange ribbon on or around Jan. 11 in solidarity with those still being held without trial at Guantanamo.

For nearly 20 years, NRCAT and the national faith and human rights community has made clear that the U.S. government was wrong to open a prison where it tortured people and where it continues to hold them without charge or trial. You can help ensure that those who were tortured there and the 39 men who are currently held there are not forgotten.

Sincerely,

Matt Hawthorne
Policy Director

PS – Please join NRCAT, The Episcopal Church and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, and human rights experts on January 11 at 3pm ET for a webinar to learn more about next steps for closing Guantanamo – register today.