Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Ex-MI6 officer joins Guantánamo inmate in hunger strike...

A former MI6 officer will begin a week-long hunger strike on Monday in solidarity with the Guantánamo Bay detention camp prisoner Shaker Aamer, a move he says is prompted by shame over the behaviour of the British intelligence service he once served.

Harry Ferguson, 52, will attempt to fast for a week to highlight the plight of Aamer, the last UK resident being held at the US military camp, who has been on hunger strike for more than 170 days. The former MI6 operative, who took part in the fight against terrorism, said he was motivated by a regret that the "organisation of which I was once proud to be a member now supports policies including assassination, rendition, torture and detention without trial".

He said that recent claims that British intelligence officers had been covertly campaigning against Aamer's repatriation had proved the final straw.

"In fact [the legal charity] Reprieve has recently uncovered evidence that MI6 is directly briefing against his return to this country because once he arrives here he will reveal that MI6 officers were present while he was being tortured," he added.

Ferguson said the shame he felt over such disclosures was heightened by recruitment work he had carried out for MI6 and lectures he had hosted defending the security services. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. Frankie Boyle goes on hunger strike to support Shaker Aamer...
  2. Guantanamo costs US taxpayers over $5 billion: Report...
  3. What it means to starve for freedom in Guantanamo...
  4. Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) force fed in standard Guantánamo Bay procedure...
  5. Gitmo detainees ask US court to end force feeding...
  6. US steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike...
  7. Further calls for the closure of Guantanamo by the UN and the European...
  8. 125 more guards head to Guantanamo to "help" force-feed inmates...

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