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May 3, 2023

U.N. Rights Body Calls for Immediate Release of Guantánamo Bay Prisoner Abu Zubaydah
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A U.N. human rights panel is urging the United States to immediately
release long-term Guantánamo Bay prisoner Abu Zubaydah, warning the
systemic detention of people at the military prison may constitute
crimes against humanity. The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
released its findings Friday after reviewing several Guantánamo cases
over the past 15 years. The panel's report also condemned Afghanistan,
Thailand, Poland, Morocco and Lithuania, where Zubaydah was held at
several CIA black sites before being transferred to Guantánamo, for
being "jointly responsible for the torture and cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment of Mr. Zubaydah." Zubaydah was first taken into
custody in 2002 in Pakistan and has been held at Guantánamo without
charge since 2006. He was waterboarded over 80 times by the CIA.


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