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Poems From GuantánamoPoems From Guantánamo
A collection of haunting poems written by detainees from Guantánamo

Guantánamo Bay

Spc. Kylene Conolon with 339th Military Police Company provides detainees with water as they arrive to Camp X-Ray, 11 February 2002. Copyright US Department of Defense

The prison camp at Guantánamo Bay remains open more than a decade after the first detainee was transferred. Of the men still held 12 were in the original group first taken there.

In the intervening ten years, the US detention facility has made headlines because of allegations of torture, enforced disappearances and illegal detention.

President Obama pledged to close Guantánamo by 22 January 2010 but, with the camp now in its eleventh year, the disregard for human rights continues.

Bring Shaker home

Shaker Aamer

    Shaker Aamer is 44. He has been held at Guantánamo Bay without charge or trial for over 11 years. Call for his immediate release

    Shaker has never seen his wife or children during this time and claims to have been tortured. Thousands of you have written letters or signed petitions calling for Shaker's release. Many have sent messages of support directly to Shaker in Guantánamo. Together, we have lobbied the UK and US governments.

    Shaker told his lawyer he fears he will die at the camp - despite, like dozens of detainees there, having spent years in indefinite detention without charge, and being approved for transfer out of the camp long ago.

    Now, for the first time, his case has been raised at the highest level and the Prime Minister is preparing to write to the President. This is the biggest opportunity yet to help Shaker out of Guantánamo Bay.

      Happy holidays?

      What happens when a average dude named Rob (Dileep Rao, Avatar and Inception) goes to a travel agency looking for a relaxing vacation? Will he be eligible for the "Not-so Geneva Package" and heading off to Guantánamo Bay?

      Former detainee BINYAM MOHAMED's LAWYER SPEAKS OUT

      Binyam Mohamed has now returned home from Guantánamo Bay, where he was held for over four years. Amnesty has an exclusive interview with his military lawyer Lt. Col Yvonne Bradley, who represented Binyam while he was held at the camp. Here she gives an open and honest interview about his case and how he was treated. Find out more about Binyam's case

      More videos

      Get creative

      Youth drawing of a Guantanamo detainee

      Young people in schools across the UK have customised figures in Guantánamo Bay jumpsuits to say whether they think the prison should be closed or remain open. See the results and submit your own figure

      Moazzam Begg 

      Moazzam BeggMoazzam Begg was abducted in January 2002 from his home in Islamabad by Pakistani and US agents. Watch clips of Moazzam Begg talking about his transfer to US custody | Guantánamo Bay.

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      Poems from Guantánamo

      Cover image: Poems from GuantanamoThis extraordinary anthology of poems is written by men imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay. Since 2002, at least 775 men have been held in the US detention centre. They wrote their poems with little expectation of ever reaching an audience beyond a small circle of their fellow prisoners.

      The first poems were scratched on to styrofoam cups and passed from cell to cell. Many were destroyed by prison guards.