Guantánamo by the Numbers: What You Should Know & Do About Guantánamo

600 men have been released from Guantánamo, and most are now peacefully rebuilding their lives.

171 men remain imprisoned at Guantánamo, from

23 countries.

92 percent of the men ever held in Guantánamo are not “Al-Qaeda fighters,” by the U.S. government’s own records.

89 men have been cleared for release from Guantánamo but remain in detention.

58 Yemeni men are cleared to be sent back home, but remain indefinitely detained based solely on their nationality.

46 men are slated for indefinite detention without charge or trial. The government claims they can neither be released nor prosecuted.

22 or more prisoners were under 18 when captured.

20 or more men could leave Guantánamo immediately, but for the fact that they fear torture or other human rights violations in their countries of nationality, or because they are stateless. These men will remain in detention until other countries offer them safe havens and a chance to rebuild their lives.

10 is the number of years of arbitrary detention at Guantánamo which the detained men have now entered.

8 men have died in the prison.

7 men have been charged with a crime, and two of these men are now free.

2 men have been forcibly transferred by the Obama administration to Algeria, despite their credible fears of abuse in Algeria.

1 man has left Guantánamo alive in 2011. The 8 months since his transfer mark the longest period that has ever lapsed without a release from the prison. He was transferred against his will. Two other men left in coffins.

0 senior government officials have been held

What you can do …
1. WRITE Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and demand that the State Department:
• Publicly disclose the names of the 89 detained men approved for transfer. Even President Bush disclosed this information and there is no reason for President Obama to make this information secret. He promised more transparency & less secrecy in government. Releasing the names of the cleared men will help us advocate for their freedom.
• Transfer detained men who have countries willing to accept them. Over half of the men imprisoned at Guantánamo have been cleared for release, & most could leave tomorrow if the blanket ban on repatriations to Yemen were lifted, & if the government did more to facilitate resettlement for the men who need safe homes in new countries. The Obama administration has effectively ceased transfers, & this is a trend that must be reversed.
• Announce an end to forced repatriations of men to countries where they fear torture, including Algeria. Over 20 detained men have expressed strong fears of returning to their countries of origin, & they should not be repatriated against their will. The Obama administration has already forcibly repatriated two Algerian men and CCR's client Djamel Ameziane fears that same fate. This policy of forcible transfers must end.

ADDRESS: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington DC 20520

2. CONTACT Attorney General Eric Holder and demand the Department of Justice hold U.S. officials accountable for torture and other serious violations of international law at Guantánamo and other U.S. detention sites. The Attorney General should appoint an independent prosecutor with a full mandate to investigate; prosecute those responsible for torture; other war crimes, as far up the chain of command as the facts may lead. DoJ must also reverse its policy of opposing civil actions brought against U.S. officials by victims of the U.S. torture program or families of those who died at Guantánamo.

ADDRESS: Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20530. EMAIL: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov . NUMBER: Public Comment Line (202) 353-1555

3. SIGN and DISTRIBUTE our petition “Close Guantánamo with Justice Now”: http://ccrjustice.org/close-gtmo-petition

4. SEE and DISTRIBUTE FULL FACTSHEET: